Love is a Scandal Waiting to Happen
by aominecchi0831
Summary: Alec Lightwood works for a magazine, though one may not see it in him, not with his shabby fashion sense, anyway. He's shy and uninterested in taking the spotlight, yet his connections in the A-list world aren't to be underestimated. A party leads him to an encounter with the debonair Magnus Bane, a man notorious for many a scandal.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Love is a Scandal Waiting to Happen**

**Ship: Magnus Bane x Alec Lightwood**

**Plot: Alec Lightwood works for a magazine, though one may not see it in him, not with his shabby fashion sense, anyway. He's shy and uninterested in taking the spotlight, yet his connections in the A-list world aren't to be underestimated – there's his sister Isabelle, who is a supermodel, and his adoptive brother and best friend Jace, a gorgeous celebrity. Not to mention that his parents are among the top millionaires in the city. A party leads him to an encounter with the debonair Magnus Bane, a man notorious for many a scandal.**

**A/N: I really, really want to write a fanfic about Magnus and Alec. They're like, the ultimate OTP. Well maybe I'm just biased.**

**I like the Lightwood siblings together, so Max is alive in this AU. Here Alec works in a magazine, though his family runs a million-dollar company. Isabelle is a model, while Jace is a pianist, and his girlfriend Clary is a rising star in the art industry. Magnus, on the other hand, is millionaire bachelor whom the paparazzi seek after, with all the parties and outrageous acts he commits.**

**Magnus and Alec, as well as all the characters of TMI is created by Cassandra Clare. Forgive me for errors in grammar, typo, and so on.**

**Douzo!**

.

.

.

The flight had been tiresome, yet Alec Lightwood ignored the jet lag and exhaustion and made sure he's going to stop by his sister Isabelle's photo shoot as soon as he got to New York. He hailed a taxi at the airport, and went to a warehouse where his sister was being photographed in Gothic-inspired evening gowns. By the time he got there Isabelle was already posing in front of the camera, wearing a stunning black fishtail gown, complete with spiky silver accessories. It was a tad old for Alec's standards when it comes to fashion editorials, but he knew his sister can put on a puffy Victorian-era gown and make it a fashion trend.

He just stood there quietly, of course; he did not want to disturb Isabelle while she was working. He watched her as she smoothly moved her arms and legs to portray a graceful but badass chic girl. At least, that was how Alec saw it. He himself just came back from a shoot in Germany – not as a model, for he has no guts to do such thing. Alec was a part of the editorial staff of a lifestyle magazine, a contributor and also a photographer. Unlike Isabelle, his forte was to work behind the scenes.

He was immersed in thinking of the possible ways to improve the shoot that he hasn't noticed that his sister was done shooting. Isabelle, on the other hand, immediately noticed him standing behind the photographer. She could not hide her look of surprise.

"Alec?" Isabelle quickly walked toward him, ignoring her high heels and long gown. "Oh my god. I thought you're coming back next week." She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

Alec smiled over her ear. "Max told me about your shoot. I finished mine a bit earlier than what was in my schedule, so I flew back here right away."

Isabelle pulled away and arched her eyebrows at him. "Our little brother knows you're coming home and he didn't even say a thing to me?"

"I'm sure he just wants to surprise you," said Alec. "Are you done with your shoot?"

Isabelle nodded. "Wanna have lunch? I'm starving."

Alec could not suppress a laugh. "All right."

.

.

.

Alec had to wait a few more minutes in the warehouse. Isabelle had to remove her make-up and change into her casual clothes: leather jacket over a studded tank top, tight-fitting jeans, and knee-length boots with killer heels. Her attire was rather simple – Alec had seen his sister in more flattering clothes before. Isabelle nonetheless looked chic, particularly because Alec was with her, in his plain gray glory.

"You didn't even bother change your clothes before going to my shoot," Isabelle noted as they enter a restaurant. She distastefully eyed the dark gray sweater and faded jeans that Alec was wearing.

"I didn't want to miss it," Alec replied as he sat with her in a booth beside the windows. "How's everyone while I'm away?"

"Everyone's doing the same thing. Mom and Dad are always busy with the business, Max goes to school, and Jace is busy for his piano concerto next month…" her dark eyes seemed to shine as she recalled something. "Clary's going to have her first art exhibit this week, by the way."

"That's great." Alec was mildly surprised, yet happy about the news. Clary was a rising star in the art world, and has been planning to have an exhibit for so long. "I think it's time for her to do so."

"It's on Friday, and Jace really wants all of us to see the exhibit. He's even forcing Simon to come back from Los Angeles and ditch his concert tour," Isabelle said with a smile. Jace was Clary's boyfriend, and was a pretty supportive one at that. "And it's not like Simon is going to miss her exhibit, and it's not like we wouldn't go there without an invitation. We're Clary's friends; I don't see why Jace has to force us."

"I'm sure he just wants to make sure we're all going to the exhibit," Alec laughed at his best friend's silliness.

Isabelle leant in, eyeing her brother keenly. "You _**will**_ attend the art exhibit, right?"

"Of course," Alec answered with raised eyebrows, wondering why she has to give him a look.

Isabelle smiled at him. "Good. You've been so busy these past weeks. Have some fun every now and then. Get a life."

Alec felt mildly offended by this comment. "I _**do**_ have a life. And I'm not that busy, you know."

"Really?" Isabelle folded her arms across her chest and gave her brother a look that says, _**Prove it**_. "So what do you do during your free time?"

"Er," Alec had to look elsewhere but his sister's eyes as he thought about it. "I always stay at home when I'm free." And it was true. Alec's world simply revolved around work, his family, and his close friends, and he's fine with it. He loves photography and writing for the magazine, and he's happy being with Isabelle and Max and their parents, with Jace and Clary and all of his friends.

It wasn't as if he doesn't have a life. Alec was just happy of what he has right now.

Alec frowned as he contemplated whether his sister was right or not.

"See?" Isabelle had a triumphant look on her face upon noticing the doubt in her brother's blue eyes. "You need to get out of your cocoon, Alec. Every now and then."

Alec sighed. He was not like Isabelle or Jace, who are always so confident and capable of using their good looks to their advantage. He just can't "get out of the cocoon". It was the main reason why he prefers working behind the camera.

Then again, it's not like he can keep his sister form persuading him to go to parties and socialize.

"All right," he said. "Every now and then."

.

.

.

"Magnus, how long are you going to keep me waiting?"

Ragnor Fell was standing in the foyer, arms crossed, one Gucci loafer-clad foot tapping the black and white Masonic floor as he eyed the carpeted marble stairway impatiently. It has been an hour since he arrived in the mansion to fetch the head of one of New York's grandest business empires. Of course, said head of a grand business empire has his own limousine to take him to the office, but sometimes he forgets that he has a multimillion dollar conglomerate to run.

"Magnus? Don't tell me you've fallen asleep again," Ragnor said out loud.

No response. Ragnor heaved a loud, exasperated sigh.

"You can't be serious…" he walked briskly upstairs, and headed for Magnus's room.

Magnus's master bedroom was half five-star hotel suite and half walk-in closet. It was the most opulent room in the house, and right now it was also the messiest. Ragnor had to carefully walk around boxes of shoes and racks of expensive suits just to search for him.

"Magnus? Have you been trapped under the pile of your disturbing clothes?"

A head poked around the doorway of the walk-in closet. Magnus Bane regarded him with amber eyes and spiky hair that was hopelessly untamable.

"How dare you," Magnus sounded offended. "My clothes are exquisite, and of the latest trend. I stand out because of my excellent taste in fashion."

Ragnor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you surely stand out, all right." He narrowed his eyes at the purple suit draped on Magnus's king-size bed. "Are you going to wear _**that**_?"

"Of course not." Magnus walked out of his walk-in closet (oh, the pun). He was dressed in a white suit jacket over black silk dress shirt, red slacks and polished black shoes. There was a golden cheetah-shaped brooch pinned on the lapel of his jacket, and a matching watch on his wrist. He looked a tad colorful for someone who was about to go to an important meeting, but it was the most serious outfit he could manage.

Ragnor obviously disapproved of Magnus's business attire. "Can't you wear something else?"

"I'm going to a boring meeting with a bunch of withering old sharks, I might as well look good while doing so," Magnus said. He eyed Ragnor from head to toe. "You, on the other hand, are in a state of fashion emergency."

Ragnor frowned, displeased by the comment. "This suit's Armani."

Magnus shrugged. "Not all people look good in designer clothing."

Ragnor shook his head, finding no point in defending his attire from Magnus's aesthetic when it comes to garments. "Whatever. Let's go."

.

.

.

Magnus went downstairs, and walked across the foyer in quick strides. His pet cat, a tabby he named Chairman Meow, was sleeping on the balustrade of the stairway. It immediately woke up and jumped off, stalking away as soon as Magnus walked past. Magnus thought that his cat must still be angry with him after some of his younger guests ruined Chairman Meow's precious little bed at a party he held last week. Maybe he should buy some special catnip when he gets back, as a peace offering.

Claude and Marie, an old couple and the only servants living in Magnus's home, were waiting at the doorway.

Magnus glanced at his servants. "I'll be back right after the meeting. Do I have any other appointments today?"

"None, sir," Claude replied.

"Oh, good." Magnus smiled. "Maybe I can have a party tonight."

Ragnor frowned. "You just had a party last week."

"I can have as many parties as I want," said Magnus stubbornly.

Marie held out a silver tray. On it was a letter knife, and a little blue envelope with a white seal. Magnus grabbed the envelope and placed it in his jacket pocket.

"Well then," Magnus told his servants. "Take care of the house for me. Oh, and do please make Chairman Meow happy today. I have a feeling he's about to leave the house and go somewhere to cool his head off or something."

And he and Ragnor went inside Ragnor's black Mercedes, off to a boring meeting with withering old sharks.

.

.

.

"Hello? Maia? Have you received the pictures already?"

Despite his sister's plea that he should get a life, the first thing Alec did when he got home was to lock himself up in his bedroom-slash-workroom. He was facing the flatscreen of his computer while calling his co-worker Maia Roberts.

"Is there a need for improvement?" Alec asked. His blue eyes never left the images on the screen. He had taken photos of gorgeous European male models along with the latest sports cars, right inside a racetrack.

"No, these are all good," Maia replied, sounding pleased at the images. "You've done the post-editing as well, haven't you? How come you can produce lovely pictures in a short amount of time?"

If Alec even noticed that he was being complimented, he might have ignored it. "So they're okay for the next issue?"

"Oh, totally," said Maia. "Readers will _**love**_ these."

Alec sighed in relief. Shooting outside the country has always made him nervous; he has always been more comfortable if he was closer to home. He was afraid that his homesickness would have an effect on his pictures. "Thank goodness."

"By the way, have you heard from Clary? You're going to the exhibit, right?"

"Yeah, the whole family and I will. Jace will kill me if I won't come to see Clary's paintings."

Maia chuckled. It sounded melodious despite the crackle of the static. "There's no way he'd do that."

Alec could not help but laugh as well. "Right," he said with a smile.

There was a whirring and a rustling sound on the other line. Maia must be working on something.

"Are you busy?" Alec asked.

"Nope," Maia replied. "I just got a fax." She paused for a moment to check the fax. She suddenly swore under her breath. "Not again."

Alec could not help but get worried. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that…" Maia sighed wearily. "We got turned down again."

"We got turned down? By who?"

"The notorious millionaire bachelor, Magnus Bane," said Maia. "A lot of magazines have been trying to get an interview with him, and he keeps on ignoring them all."

Alec has heard a thing or two about Magnus Bane. Apparently Magnus was a big-time businessman, with businesses ranging from pharmaceutical products to advertising. He was also known for his unusual fashion, numerous affairs and scandals. The most famous one was probably his escapades in Peru, for which he became a _**persona non grata**_. "It seems like the only people who can get a scoop about him are the paparazzi."

"Ugh, tell me about it." Maia agreed. "I don't think this guy even cares about his image. Does he have any idea what a good magazine interview can do to give him the right publicity?"

"I don't know," Alec shrugged. "Maybe he just likes being the center of attention."

_**If this Magnus Bane loves being the center of attention (be it good or bad), then we'll probably not get along,**_ Alec thought.

.

.

.

The meeting took more or less than two hours, half of it consisting of Ragnor doing most of the talking while Magnus fought the urge to fall asleep in front of grim-looking capitalists. It's not that Magnus was a horrible CEO. If anything, he was an excellent businessman who knew how create quality products and services and make people pay a high price for it. He was just not fond of company meetings. Maybe if there was rave music and a pyramid of vodka shots in the conference room…but then the members might not be able to come up with decent ideas for the benefit of the corporation because they were inebriated.

"I can't believe you slept all throughout the meeting," Ragnor said as he followed Magnus out of the conference room.

"No, I did not sleep throughout the meeting," Magnus answered. He then added, a bit hesitantly, "I may have taken a mini nap while you were discussing the stock exchange, but that's only for a few minutes, and I remained wide awake after that."

"I can't believe you managed to create a huge empire with that personality."

"It's not my personality which made me get this far," Magnus spoke as he entered his office. Contrary to his rather lively fashion style, the room was more minimalist: white paint on all three sides of the office, sparsely decorated with modern artworks created by his friend Jocelyn Fray; a tall black bookshelf was placed in one corner of the room. A set of cream-colored upholstery was placed over a rich dark gray rug, and a mahogany office desk in front of the floor-to-ceiling panels of glass which showed a charming view of the city. Magnus sat on the plush oxblood leather chair behind the desk and smiled knowingly at Ragnor. "It's more than that."

Ragnor only gave him a sour look in response, before sitting on a couch. Magnus leant against his chair in relaxed position.

"Maybe I should go on a vacation," Magnus said.

"Are you kidding?" Ragnor arched his eyebrows high. "If there's anyone who needs a vacation, it has to be me. Or anyone else in this company but you."

"That's not fair. I've been working hard, too."

"Yes, but you party harder."

Magnus could not hide a smirk upon hearing this compliment. "Well, somebody has to. Speaking of which…" he pulled out the blue envelope from his jacket. "I've been expecting this letter."

Ragnor just had to narrow his eyes at the suspicious thing. He just hoped that the letter won't lead Magnus or the company to another controversy. The incident in Peru has been outrageous enough, and he was certain that he won't be able to handle another nasty scandal. "What is that?"

"It's nothing harmful," Magnus told him. "This is an invitation from Jocelyn. You see, her little redhead is going to have her first ever art exhibit..." His eyes gleamed at the idea of taking part in a social gathering. "And I'm invited."

.

.

.

**Uh…well!**

**My friend HexShadow and I have been fawning over The Mortal Instruments and all the other series made by Cassandra Clare, and we both have undying love for our OTPs, Isabelle x Simon and Magnus x Alec. We would like to share this fanfic to our fellow Shadowhunting friends.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yo-ho. I'm sorry for a pretty late update, I've been pretty busy lately, and I also got sick (something to do with my blood, maybe I've become a mutant or something) but it's HERE!**

**Here's the second chapter!**

**Douzo!**

.

.

.

The Tuesday morning was bright and warm, and it would have been pleasant without the existence of traffic and rushing feet of the busy people. The air was a myriad of smells, from coffee and freshly-baked bread to petroleum fumes emitted by many a car.

Alec walked past the bustling crowd of people along the sidewalk, and entered the building through the tall, sliding glass doors. He walked over to the elevator in long, quick strides which were efficient for a working young adult like himself. The editors' office was on the 16th floor. He noticed, as he got there, that everyone was busy as a bee. Alec understood the commotion going on; he himself could not help but panic, albeit slightly, as the deadlines were getting closer by the second.

The he glanced around in search of the face of his co-worker Maia.

"Hey," Alec found her standing by the coffee machine in the office kitchenette.

"Welcome back," Maia made two cups of coffee and handed one to him, which he gratefully accepted. "How's Germany?"

"I didn't have enough time to check it out." Alec walked over to his cubicle and carefully placed the cup of coffee on top of his desk and his black backpack on the floor. "I flew back as soon as I finished the shoot."

"You could've taken a day off or two, you know. The boss wouldn't mind." Maia took a sip of her coffee. "You didn't even take a few minutes to mingle with any of those gorgeous male models who were working with you?"

Alec raised an eyebrow at her. Only a few people in his life knew that he was gay, and he wanted to keep it that way. "I was there for business," he muttered sternly. He then leaned down to take his laptop out of his bag. "Besides, I doubt any of those models prefer guys…"

Maia smiled at him. "How can you be so sure? You never asked any of them."

"How's the Bane thing, by the way?" Alec was quick to change the topic.

Maia rolled her eyes in disbelief. "I really don't see why we have to pursue that guy. I saw his face all over the newsstands this morning. He made it to the tabloid headlines…again."

"He must be so busy," Alec said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. His blue eyes were fixed on the monitor. He was reading the online news; among the hottest news topic was Magnus Bane's involvement with the French beauty Camille Belcourt. Seeing Magnus's photo together with the alluring blonde girl, Alec could easily tell that the guy was enjoying whatever he does, public opinion be damned. "Any plans to make him agree to have an interview with you?"

"I don't know," Maia shrugged. She then added, jokingly, "The only remaining plan in my mind is to kidnap him."

Her reply created an expression that was rarely seen in Alec. He suddenly burst into laughter.

.

.

.

"Magnus," Ragnor dashed straight into Magnus's office while clutching a newspaper in one hand. "What's the meaning of this?"

Magnus was busy doing paperwork behind his desk. He only gave a momentary glance at the newspaper, and then resumed working on some documents. "I'm not sure what you're trying to say, my friend. Are you talking about politics? Or do you want to start a conversation about the NBA games?"

Ragnor was utterly annoyed. He slapped the tabloid on Magnus's desk, a bit forcefully. "How many times to I have to tell you not to start another controversy?"

Magnus eyed the headlines of the tabloid. He seemed amused about the rumors of his affair with Camille Belcourt. "What are you talking about? Camille and I have been going out for months. I don't see how it will yield to another controversy."

"Magnus," Ragnor hissed. "She's engaged to a French aristocrat."

"Just because we're going out for months doesn't mean we're an item."

"Magnus – " Ragnor furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. " – you really don't care what the public will think of this, do you?"

Magnus arched his eyebrows at his friend, puzzled. "Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Ragnor replied in an exasperated tone. "You have to. You're the CEO of this company for heaven's sake. Do you realize how hard it is for the PR department to clean up every single mess you make? You're a nightmare to every public relations officer."

"Just like what a pop song was saying," Magnus smiled. "I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream."

"Magnus!"

"Okay, okay." Magnus raised his hands in an attempt to calm his seething friend. "Just tell the press it's nothing. Deny it all. It's not true, anyway." Though he did spend a lot of weekends at the Canary Islands with Camille, and had given her a set of expensive jewelry or two, maybe more…Magnus had forgotten how much money, time and effort he had spent on the beautiful French socialite. But it was all just that, and nothing more. Apparently Camille is not the kind of woman who can be committed to a man, and Magnus wants to shower his love to a woman – or a man – who truly wants a stable relationship with him.

Ragnor gave him a doubtful look. "You really have nothing to do with her?"

Magnus shook his head, careful not to spill anything about his former affaire d'amour. "Nope. Nada. So calm down, and relieve yourself of this tittle-tattle…"

Ragnor bowed his head and let out a breath of relief. "God, Magnus, you really are going to give me a heart attack someday. Maybe I should contact Catarina and have an appointment with her…"

"Now, now. I'm sure she has more important patients to take care of." Magnus placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, a gesture which made Ragnor eye him suspiciously. "Now, if you will please leave my office. I have to go somewhere…"

"To who?"

Magnus lifted an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Who are you going to meet today?"

Magnus was stunned by this assumption. "Are you saying that I'm leaving work early for a date?"

"Well, you're exactly the guy who'd do such a thing. So who is it?"

"I'm not going out with anyone," said Magnus, denial evident in his voice. He got up from his seat and walked around his desk. "I'm going shopping this afternoon."

"Really?" Ragnor watched his back as he sped out of the office. There was an air of casualness around Magnus which made him worry.

.

.

.

The staff meeting consisted of all the editors involved in the latest issue of the magazine, and Alec was one of them. The conference room was lively with light conversation, as if they weren't up to their necks in finishing next month's issue.

"Alec, you did a great job finishing the Germany shoot," said the editor-in-chief, a sophisticated middle-aged woman with short, bleach-blond hair. "You totally saved us a lot of time and work. I hope you don't mind helping with the other articles?"

"No problem," Alec answered, looking astonished and pleased because his efforts were recognized.

The editor-in-chief glanced at Maia. "How's the Bane thing?"

Maia looked crestfallen. "No luck. Magnus Bane keeps on avoiding the media. I'm not sure if we can feature him in our next issue."

The editor-in-chief frowned. "We can't have that. Bane should be the main topic of our magazine. Being the first to have an interview with him…it'll be a milestone. With his face on the cover of our next issue, we'll be on top."

Alec understood her dilemma. Bane was the most in-demand celebrity in town, and despite all the controversy he was also the most secretive. Every magazine wants to have him on their cover. It'll be sensational to have him featured in the next issue.

"Maybe we can just try him again for next, next month," Alec suggested. "I mean, we can't help it if he really doesn't want to be interviewed…"

"But…" his boss looked doubtful. "Alec, do you have any suggestions as to what will be our feature? Maia, how about you? You're our senior writer, after all."

Maia gave Alec a beseeching look. Alec swallowed, tried to come up with an idea, and stared at the editor-in-chief nervously. "Um…it's the summer issue, maybe we can feature the top relaxation spots? A lot of hotels and resorts will be willing to cooperate with us – we'll be like advertising their products, after all." he said with a shrug.

"Well…" the editor-in-chief paused for a moment to think. "Of course, that's given. We should feature that, but…I want the next issue to be an explosive one." She looked at Maia. "Maia, we still have a month to pursue Bane. I believe you can do something given that time frame. Alec, maybe you can help her?"

"Um, sure," Alec replied.

Maia nodded, her eyes determined. "I'll do my best to persuade him."

.

.

.

"Ugh," Maia said as she followed Alec out of the conference room after the meeting. "The Bane thing is giving me stress." She rubbed her eyes gingerly. "I think I need a facial…maybe a full body massage as well."

"Look on the bright side," Alec told her encouragingly. "I'll be working with you."

Maia scowled. "I feel bad for you. I mean, when was the last time you had your day off? I can barely remember it myself."

Alec was about to tell her that it was nothing, that working with her was fun and he did not feel like having a break anytime soon, when he felt his mobile phone vibrate. He fished it out of his pocket and stared at the screen, which flashed his sister's name.

He answered the call. "Izzy?"

"Hey," said Isabelle. "You busy?"

"Not really…" Alec smiled as Maia mouthed the words 'I'll be off to my workstation' and left. He then went back to his own cubicle. "Is there a problem?"

"Nope. Am I supposed to call you only when there's an emergency?"

"Of course not. So why are you calling?"

"Well…since you just got back, I've decided that we should have lunch together. You know, just the Lightwood siblings. You, me, and Max."

Alec stared at the wall clock hung above the office's main entrance. It was five minutes before lunch time. "Sure. Where are you?"

"Uh…we're kinda outside your office right now?"

"What?" Alec stood up and saw his siblings standing right outside the door – Isabelle holding her phone and waving a hand at him, and standing beside her was their little brother, Max.

"Let's just say, we got a little excited to pay you a visit," said Isabelle through the phone.

.

.

.

Magnus was true to his word. He really went out to shop for an outfit to wear on Friday evening, for Clary's exhibit. And he was not dating anyone…yet. The gorgeous Latino salesman assisting him in the men's boutique might change that.

"How long have you been working here, Imasu?" Magnus asked the handsome young man who was helping him with his suit.

"I started working here just a few months ago, sir," Imasu Morales, the gorgeous salesman answered with natural charm.

"Hmm…" Magnus flashed a smile at him. "This store must have an increase in sales since then."

"Yes, of course. But I can't say I credit that to myself." Imasu said jokingly. His laughing eyes captured Magnus's heart, although to be honest he had a penchant for black hair and blue eyes. Nonetheless, the millionaire bachelor can expand his preferences every now and then.

Magnus had planned to flirt with him a little longer, but he was interrupted by a phone call.

He had no choice but to answer it. "Hello?"

"Ragnor told me that you are out on a shopping spree, and he was suspecting that you're actually out on a date," said Catarina Loss, a hardworking doctor and one of Magnus's longtime friends.

Magnus watched Imasu as the salesman was busy picking another suit for him. "Well…he has the right to be suspicious."

"Eyeing a sales clerk, are you?"

"How did you find out?" Magnus made a mocking sound of surprise. "I know you're a doctor with a lot of specializations, but I was pretty sure that reading minds wasn't one of them."

"There's no need for me to read your mind, Magnus. I only know that you have a tendency to hunt for potential partners while hunting for clothes."

"Are you implying that I'm a flirt? You hurt my feelings, Catarina."

Catarina laughed. "Well, let's face it. You _**are**_ a big-time flirt. Anyway, that's not the reason why I called."

Magnus sat on one of the comfy leather ottomans in the store. "What is the reason why the always-busy you had to make a phone call then?"

"Always-busy me has got an invitation to the art exhibit of Jocelyn's daughter."

"Uh-huh," Magnus replied. "I got one, too."

"I got a call from Tessa. She's in London and she couldn't come to the party, and she wants me to say her greetings to Jocelyn's daughter on her behalf." Tessa Gray, also one of Magnus's friends, was also a family friend of Jocelyn and Clary.

"So…what's the problem?"

"The problem, as you can obviously see, is that I'm always busy." Catarina sounded exasperated. "I can't come to the party."

"What?" Magnus pursed his lips. "So I'm stuck with Ragnor as my date? That'll be horrible."

"Oh, come on, you always liked Ragnor's company, no matter how grumpy he is. Besides, you should look on the bright side of things. Maybe you can find a gorgeous being at the exhibit."

"Yeah…" Magnus smiled when Imasu returned, carrying another set of clothes for him to try on. "I'd like that."

.

.

.

"I…thought we're going to lunch," Alec said, fighting his sister Isabelle as she pushed him out of the shiny Audi and into a luxurious men's boutique. It did not take much for him to get kicked out of the car; Alec never used force against his siblings, even on Jace, no matter what they were fighting about. He simply allowed himself to be dragged around by his sister.

"This isn't a restaurant!" he protested.

"Hi," Isabelle said as she flashed the nearest saleslady a smile worthy of a billboard ad. "We're here to check out some evening attire."

"You've come to the right place," the saleslady replied, returning her smile. "We've got menswear for all occasions…"

"What are you buying me new clothes for?" Alec asked. He then glanced down at Max. "And aren't you supposed to be at school?"

Max simply shrugged at him. Isabelle, on the other hand, gave Alec a look that clearly meant _**duh**_. "You need something to wear for Friday evening, of course. And Max is here so that we can get an opinion from a fellow young man of the same breeding as you."

"You're asking Max's opinion on suits?" Alec was flabbergasted.

"I don't mind, really." Max spoke. "And it's not like you have a better knowledge about suits than I do. No offense…"

Alec did not take offense on that comment, but it hit him pretty hard. "I have to get back to work – "

"Will you please forget about work even just for a day? I already called you editor. Come on," said Isabelle. "Let's get you a nice outfit."

.

.

.

The problem with Alec is that he spends so much time for other people that he forgets to have time for himself. He is always too busy with work and dealing with his family (his siblings can be quite a handful sometimes, and whenever their parents are out on a business trip he has to be the head of the household, being the eldest son and all) that he barely has free time to pamper himself. And it was reflected in his fashion style: plain t-shirts, mostly black or gray, which he wore again and again even until they have holes in them.

Thus one could understand how Isabelle Lightwood, one of the world's most beautiful women, wanted to give her dear brother a makeover. She was always eager to force Alec to make changes in his wardrobe whenever the opportunity comes.

"Hmm…maybe this one?" Isabelle eyed the collection of suits being shown to her and Alec, quite meticulously. This was once in a blue moon chance for her to make her older brother look dashing; there's no way she'd mess this up. Alec could tell that she was having a hard time selecting an outfit for him.

Max, on the other hand, was unfortunately unhelpful at this situation. He sat on one of the comfy plush seats in the store, and not surprisingly the boy quickly fell asleep while watching his brother and sister choose clothes. Alec could not blame him; Max does have a habit of sleeping wherever he was.

"It's a semiformal event, Izzy," Alec told Isabelle. "There's no need to buy…"

The sinister look in his sister's obsidian eyes told Alec to keep quiet and do as he was told.

After almost an hour of sorting through hundreds of menswear Isabelle had finally narrowed her choices into three sets of garments. She handed them to Alec for him to try on.

Alec simply complied, partly because he appreciated his sister's way of showing her love toward him. It was also partly because he just wanted to get it over with. So he walked into a dressing room to change.

He might have been a little absentminded when he did so, because he accidentally ran into a tall guy who was just getting out of the dressing room.

"Sorry," Alec mumbled without looking at the other guy's face.

"No problem," the guy answered, with a hint of amusement in his tone as he allowed Alec to walk past.

.

.

.

Magnus was only in the shop for a few hours, but he felt like staying forever. Who would have known how many gorgeous men can gather in the clothing store in just a day?

He was done trying on the clothes Imasu had suggested to him, and he got out of the dressing room. It was at that time when a guy accidentally ran into him.

"Sorry," he apologized with all sincerity.

"No problem," Magnus replied, and he allowed him to get into the dressing room.

The boy did not even look Magnus in the eye, but he found him surely attention-grabbing. Black hair and blue eyes were a rare genetic combination, and Magnus was always glad to encounter a person who was fortunately born with such traits. But there was something else in that boy, something which unfathomable which captured Magnus's interest.

_**Now, if only he's not wearing that awful sweater…**_Magnus thought as he proceeded to pay for his purchase.

.

.

.

**Anyone here who has a Twitter or Tumblr account? Mine's jinx_ .com**

**If you post fanfics or fanarts about TMI, KnB, HQ, or LoL, please let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Uh…well.**

**People, who has Twitter account here? If you tweet about Malec or the TMI fandom, just DM trashbane . Let's all be friends.**

**I'm really happy for the reviews. Really, people should appreciate Malec a lot more. **

**Btw I made up the NGO in this story, so…**

**And I was thinking of creating a crack ship, just to spice things up between Magnus and Alec (because tbh I don't like to involve Camille too much in this love story as some sort of third party, I think it'll be a little bit too cliché?). Who do you suggest?**

**Douzo!**

.

.

.

The Friday night was lively as the glamorous and the sophisticated gathered at a huge gallery in TriBeCa. It was a rare mingling of the middle and upper class members of the society, as they were united by passion for art and humanitarian projects. Not only was it Clary's first art exhibit, it was also a grand charity event. All of the proceeds shall go to _**Draw a Dream Foundation**_, a non-profit organization of artists who use their talent to raise funds and help children all over the world. Jocelyn, with the help of some well-to-do benefactors, was its founder.

The price range of most of Clary's artworks was just right, that even a middle class buyer can afford one. Still, the target donors of said event were the big time clients, and Magnus Bane was one of them.

He came to the exhibit a little earlier than he usually does when he attends social gatherings, probably because he was with Ragnor, who was very eager to make sure he won't miss such an event. It was Ragnor who made sure that the public gets to see Magnus in a better light.

Really, Ragnor does almost all the dirty work for the sake of Magnus' image and career.

"The little scrap isn't to outshine her mother just yet, but she is more than a chip off the block," Magnus commented as he and Ragnor walked about, after a long moment of smiling at the press and mingling with some of the prominent guests. The white-walled gallery was carefully filled with at least a hundred of Clary's paintings and some of her sketches. Magnus was quite surprised that such a petite redhead like her could produce a huge number of artwork, let alone the fact that they were of superb quality. The concept has been about people; Magnus could see portraits of men and women, old and young, depicted in various scenes. There was a middle-aged man selling hotdogs to children at the Central Park; there was an image of a Spanish woman wearing gaily-colored costumes, probably a folk dancer. There was also a painting of two boys smiling, both of them donning baseball caps and were carrying a glove and a bat. The subjects were simple, ordinary humans, yet the way the artist had portrayed them through brush and paint made such a special output.

"This place is very charming," Ragnor could not help but be amazed, which was a true milestone. He was, after all, a person who was rarely pleased. He then noticed a black piano in one corner of the room. "What's a musical instrument doing in a place meant for appraisal of visual arts?"

Magnus stared at the piano languidly. "I remember Clary has a boyfriend," he said. "I forgot his name. The guy's a popular pianist, though."

"Are you talking about Jace Herondale?" Ragnor's eyebrows arched up to his hairline. "You forgot the name of Jace Herondale, the golden boy of today's classical music industry who's known for his angelic face and devilishly tempting abs?"

"He'll probably have a small performance tonight…" Magnus downright ignored his friend's inquiry.

"Is he? Well, I'll look forward to it." Ragnor has set his eyes somewhere else, this time at the star of the event herself, Clary Fray, looking all beautiful in an emerald green evening dress. She was happily chatting with some of the other guests together with her mother, Jocelyn. "There's the prodigy, and her artiste of a mother. Shall we greet them?"

"Go on," said Magnus, waving him away. "I'll just take a look around here first."

Ragnor frowned. "I don't think so. You have the tendency to stir up some trouble whenever I'm not around to keep an eye on you."

"This is a gallery and not a rave party, Ragnor," Magnus told him. "I promise I'll behave properly." He put a hand over his heart as an act of showing sincerity in making a promise, though all it did was to make the other man feel more apprehensive.

"I'll be at ease if Catarina was here…" Ragnor grumbled as he walked away.

.

.

.

"I can't believe we were stuck in traffic for more than an hour," said Alec as he and his siblings walked briskly through the entrance of the gallery where Clary's exhibit was being held, ignoring the all the camera flash (which were mostly aimed at Isabelle, who was, after all, the only celebrity among them) as they walked past. He nervously straightened he nonexistent creases on his blazer.

"Relax, Alec. It's okay to be fashionably late." Isabelle on the other hand, was all cool and chic in her black Alexander McQueen dress. "And we made it, anyway."

By the time they arrived the gallery was already bustling with people: different members of the society, ranging from millionaires to stars, art critics and members of the press. Alec enviously eyed the media men; he badly wanted to cover the event himself, but he was obliged to simply enjoy the evening by his family and friends.

"I can't see Jace or Clary," Alec said, glancing around frantically. Despite working at a famous lifestyle magazine and has spent most of his life interacting with a lot of people, he was not fond of social gatherings.

Isabelle had pulled her smartphone out of her purse. "Simon told me that he's already here," she murmured.

Max suddenly tugged at Alec's jacket. "Look," he said, pointing a finger at one corner of the gallery. "They're over there."

Alec looked where his brother was pointing at. Clary was with her mother, having a talk with some guests. Most of them were well-known art critics, and some were popular bloggers who cover events.

Clary immediately noticed the Lightwoods. She smiled at Alec and Max, and Alec slightly raised a hand to greet her.

"I need to go to the comfort room," Isabelle spoke. "Just to check my hair and makeup. I'll be back in a minute…" she sped off, leaving Alec and Max alone.

"I don't see Jace anywhere," Max told Alec.

"Me neither," Alec replied, looking more worried by the second. "I thought he got here first."

It was then that a hand strongly clapped Alec's shoulder, causing the eldest born Lightwood to jump in surprise.

"Hey," Jace Herondale grinned his angelic grin (if such thing was possible) at his adoptive brothers, more specifically at his best friend. "Looking for me? I must be so in demand."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you sure are." He said wryly.

Jace gave Max a high five. "Where are the others?"

"Izzy's in the restroom," Alec answered. "Mom and Dad went to Tokyo." His parents, Robert and Maryse Lightwood, own a huge advertising company which gained clients from all over the world. They were busy travelling from country to country, creating commercials and billboards for the sake of endorsing products and services that may or may not be worth spending one's money for.

Jace arched his eyebrows in slight disbelief. "_**Again**_?"

"I don't see why you're surprised," Alec told him.

Jace shrugged. "I just thought I managed to persuade them to come here using my natural and always effective charm."

"Well, obviously your charm isn't always effective since you failed," Isabelle buzzed in; she just came out of the powder room looking twice glamorous after a light retouch of makeup. "Where's Clary?"

"I'm here," Clary finally came to them. Jace wrapped an arm around her and leant in to give her a quick kiss, not heeding at the fact that there were people around them.

"Congratulations," Alec told her. He was not scandalized by the small PDA, because he was used to seeing Jace's spontaneous way of showing affection.

Clary smiled at everyone. "Thanks. How do you like the show?"

"Um…we just got here a while ago…" Alec answered, shrugging.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Jace told Alec. "Take a look at the exhibit. It's awesome, I swear." He shared a secretive smile with his red-haired girlfriend, as if he and Clary had a surprise waiting for Alec and his siblings.

Alec arched his eyebrows at the couple. He's been single since birth, so he had no idea what those mysterious doe-eyed looks were all about. "Okay…"

Isabelle, on the other hand, stared at the couple sourly. "Ugh," she said with feigned disgust in her voice. "Let's leave them alone."

"I'll stay with Clary and Jace," said Max. He was always fond of Jace and Clary.

"All right," Alec said. He then took out his smartphone from his pocket. "But before that, allow me to take some pictures of you guys…"

"Alec," Isabelle scowled at him. "You're not going to work here, are you?"

Alec gave his sister a look. "What," he asked, "I'm not allowed to update my Instagram account now?"

Isabelle looked at him in disbelief. Jace, on the other hand, could not hold back his laughter.

.

.

.

Alec began to take a look around on his own. He left Max in the company of Clary and Jace, and Isabelle with her boyfriend Simon (who was totally apologetic upon arriving half an hour later than he had told Izzy). He would like to spend some time with his family and friends, but first he wanted to see Clary's artworks on his own. There was something cozy about walking around the gallery without a companion to talk to. Alec liked the feeling of gazing at the paintings, enjoying the effects of the colors and strokes, not needing to talk to anyone about his or her opinion on what the artwork meant or what the techniques used in them were. He preferred enjoying art without the need of giving a reason to do so.

Another reason that he ventured on his own was Jace. He has been sharing cheesy smiles with Clary – it was something that Alec found slightly annoying, to be honest – which probably meant that they have a surprise for him and Isabelle and Max. He had no idea why he thought they might have a surprise for him and his siblings, but knowing them, they were surely up to something.

It did not take long for Alec to find out what it was. Upon turning around a corner he spotted a huge oil-on-canvas painting, and the image he saw filled his heart with happiness.

.

.

.

After minutes of fending off fellow guests, Magnus lazily looked around him, not taking interest in any of the people at the exhibit. It was then, by mere chance, that he had set his eyes upon Clary's works of art: it was a collection of oil on canvas paintings that was generally entitled 'People that I love', as it indeed pictured the most important people in the artist's life – her mother Jocelyn, as well as her stepdad Luke, her boyfriend Jace, and all of her dear friends, each based on a memorable moment in her life together with them.

But Magnus wasn't exactly looking at the touching collection. He was actually staring at the young man who was standing alone in that area, appreciating the works with all sincerity. A lanky boy wearing a velvet black blazer over a crisp, light blue shirt and a pair of black jeans was staring at his own image beautifully painted by Clary. He stood facing the artwork, his beautiful profile shown to Magnus. His stunning blue eyes gazed at his own portrait, awed and puzzled, as if he was wondering if the guy in the painting was really him. His pale skin was smooth, his cheeks blushing as he was pleased by his friend's tribute to him.

In Magnus's amber eyes, he was a vision to behold.

It took Magnus a while before he could pull himself together, after being caught off guard by such a disarming beauty. He knew that he had to act fast. After all, who knows how many girls – or guys – would suddenly pop out and grab him? He walked towards the boy before he could even stop himself.

.

.

.

Alec could not believe what he was looking at. The mini collection of portraits was the most special part of Clary's exhibit, not just for her but for all of her family and friends, himself included. He eyed the details in pure fascination: there was a picture of Isabelle during their group vacation in Ibiza, her long hair gently danced along with the sea breeze as she smiled so sweetly; an image of Max at Clary's apartment when he fell asleep while reading a Naruto manga; Jace, still handsome while he solemnly concentrated on playing the piano at the Carnegie Hall; a comical painting of Simon while playing Dungeons and Dragons; Clary's parents, at the day of their wedding, and her brother Jonathan, holding a pencil as he was planning to write or draw something. All of the people in the painting were Clary's loved ones. Alec found himself surprised and pleased that she made a portrait of him as well, in the middle of taking a photo using the Canon DSLR Clary and Jace had given him last Christmas.

"She did a great job, using mostly black and white to make those blue eyes of yours come alive in that painting."

Alec started, turned around, and had the biggest shock in his life. Standing right in front of him was Magnus Bane, notorious millionaire bachelor and most secretive troublemaker the world has ever known. He was smiling at Alec like an art critic who has found a masterpiece.

"Although I must say," Magnus spoke softly, almost like a purr, as he regarded Alec's blue eyes with interest. "I prefer looking at the real thing."

Alec blinked, still stunned by the fact that _**the**_ Magnus Bane was talking to him. It wasn't that he was star-struck or anything; he was part of the media industry, and he was used to talking to famous people. It was just that he was taken aback by the sudden twist of fate: just a few days ago the whole editorial staff was going mad as they beg this elusive man for an interview, and now he's right in front of him, looking suave in a gabardine blazer over a black shirt, matching pants and polished shoes. He seemed surprisingly less flashy in person.

Magnus must have noticed that Alec was evaluating his outfit. "I take it that you're wondering why I'm wearing sober attire tonight?"

"I…thought you prefer putting on something gaudy," said Alec, still unsure what to say. "You know…you're known to be someone who loves to dress to impress…"

"Well, I don't 'dress to impress' all the time," Magnus replied a little indignantly. "But that's enough of my fashion sense…" he suddenly narrowed his eyes at Alec, who began to feel nervous. "Haven't we met before?"

Magnus had a charming smile on his face, but deep inside he felt like facepalming himself at that moment. He had just spoken the most abused (and now least effective) pick-up line.

"I…don't recall that we have." Alec, on the other hand, somehow found his voice familiar, though he was pretty sure tonight was the first time he met him.

"Hmm…" Magnus simply shrugged. "Maybe it's just me." He then glanced at Alec's portrait. "So you're friends with Jocelyn's petite redhead daughter?"

"Yeah…" Alec replied, also staring at the painting. "We're friends."

"How odd, he never mentioned she had gorgeous friends…" Magnus returned his gaze at Alec and smiled. "So you know who I am. Isn't that unfair? Shouldn't I know yours in return?"

"Uh…I'm Alec. Alexander Lightwood." Alec tried to come up with a reply while fighting the urge to blush. "Clary, she…never mentioned that she has a billionaire friend, either."

Magnus chuckled. "Well, isn't Clary so secretive…though honestly, I'm more like her mother's benefactor."

"Jocelyn?" Alec kept his gaze at the portrait; he felt nervous as he felt the millionaire bachelor's eyes on him.

"Yeah. I buy most of her paintings. Let's just say I'm her number one fan." Magnus knew that he was making the boy feel uneasy, but he didn't feel like being subtle at that time, not when Alec's cheeks were turning redder every second that his attention's on him.

"That's nice..." Alec bit his lip anxiously. He badly wanted to ask Magnus for an interview, but he was wary about dealing with the infamous debonair since he has no idea what kind of person he was.

"So what's with the camera?" Magnus suddenly asked.

Alec was taken aback by the question. "What?"

"The camera. Is photography your hobby?"

"It's more than a hobby to be honest…I work as a photographer in a lifestyle magazine." It was the first time somebody asked Alec something about himself; it was usually the other way around.

"Lifestyle magazine? What name?"

"It's uh, the one who's been asking for an interview with you."

"I don't recall – oh." Magnus remembered one famous lifestyle magazine pleading to have him featured on their summer issue. He had been sent numerous letters through fax, by a female writer whose name he could not remember. "_**That **_magazine."

"You've rejected us many times," said Alec.

Magnus feigned a laugh. "Well, maybe if your staff changes tactics…" _**like sending you to personally talk to me, perhaps?**_

"I hope you will accept our request for an interview…" Alec said shyly. "I mean, we in the magazine hope that you will…"

It took a while for the filthy rich bachelor to answer. Alec began to get worried, and hoped that he hadn't sounded too pushy. He almost thought that Magnus was already irritated with him.

"I – " Alec began to speak. "It's okay if you really don't want to – "

"You're such a cute and nice guy, so I'll think about it," Magnus replied with a wink.

.

.

.

Magnus knew he gave the right answer, for Alec's smile upon knowing that he'd think about it, that he gave him a sliver of hope, was more valuable than any artwork in that gallery. Actually, Alec's smile was more precious than Van Gogh or Da Vinci's masterpieces. Screw Mona Lisa and her faint smile. Here was a living work of art right in front of him.

"Thanks." Alec said, his clear blue eyes staring right into Magnus' sharp golden ones. They held each other's gaze for a long time. Alec felt like looking away because he thought it was embarrassing, but Magnus' amber eyes were urging him not to.

Their conversation was ended when they both heard the lilting sounds of a piano. Alec looked elsewhere, and Magnus was snapped out of the semi-trance going on in his mind.

"That must be Jace," Alec said, half-excitedly. "I've got to go…"

"I hope to see you again…" Magnus answered as he watched the boy hurried off to watch the mini piano concerto. He felt exhilarated, he was in an undeniably good mood, and Jace's rendition of Bach seemed to complement what he was feeling that evening.

.

.

.

**Lol, sorry for the late update! I've been busy because I'm graduating tomorrow! .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! It took me a while, because I'm looking for a job. You see, it's not easy to find a writing job in the Philippines…I could try abroad but I'm not sure how…**

**BTW I'm so happy that you guys want me to keep on updating. I even receive PM's telling me to update right away. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Here is another chapter for you.**

**Douzo!**

.

.

.

Magnus was in a very good mood the next day. You could tell by the fact that he came into the office earlier than usual, without Ragnor Fell having to drag him out of his mansion. Magnus was all sweet smiles; he was still sarcastic but the way he delivered his hard-hitting punch lines was so light everyone would think he was obviously joking and was not being tetchy.

"You're in a good mood," Ragnor commented, smiling because his friend's mood was infectious. He sat on the couch facing Magnus, who sat relaxed behind the desk. "Did something happen last night?"

"Who would have thought that helping poor little children can make me feel so good?" Magnus spoke in an exuberant tone.

"Oh? Did you donate to the Frays' charity foundation?" Ragnor was taken aback. He knew Magnus long enough to know that the millionaire was not used to giving away money, especially if it was for charity. "How come you didn't tell me?"

"I just bought one of Clary's paintings." Magnus shrugged casually. "It's not a big deal."

"How much did you pay for it?"

"Well…" It took Magnus a while to remember the money he spent on Alec's portrait. Clary's portrait of her family and friends were only there for display and were not for sale, and persuading Jocelyn to make her daughter sell at least one of them was truly a hard-fought battle. When he told Ragnor about it, he was sure his friend's jaw dropped so low it could have reached the building's basement.

"You donated THAT MUCH?" Ragnor said, staring at him with wide eyes. "What the heck were you thinking, Magnus? You weren't buying a Rembrandt!"

"I just thought I should give that much," Magnus lied. "I mean, it's charity…"

Ragnor groaned in disbelief. "God, Magnus. You're lucky we aren't having an economic crisis right now…"

"Oh, come on." Magnus told him impatiently. "It's not a big deal. I've thrown away bigger amounts on things that were less sensible."

Ragnor fell silent, and thought about it for a while. "You're right," he agreed, his smile returning, albeit slightly. "You've wasted a lot more money on clothes and stupid parties before."

Magnus was mildly offended that his friend called his parties stupid, but he was glad that his point was accepted. "Well, I guess that's settled…"

"I want to see the painting."

"What?"

"The painting," said Ragnor. "I want to see why you've spent so much money on it. Was it that beautiful?"

"Uh…" Magnus smiled sheepishly. He was pretty sure Ragnor was about to have another fit. "I found the subject interesting."

His friend glared at him. "Was it a nude woman?"

"Ragnor, seriously, what do you take me for?" Magnus felt honestly hurt. "I'm not like Woolsey."

"Judging by the fact that you've slept with him more than once, you do seem to share the same interests."

"I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't know me well enough as a friend. No, it's not a painting of a nude woman," Magnus told him. "Though, honestly, I do wish the subject has been naked."

Ragnor folded his arms and stared at him, unimpressed. "So it's a man."

"Yes, but don't get me wrong. It's not even a full body portrait." Magnus spoke sulkily. He obviously sounded disappointed. "The model just happened to be my type. Black hair, blue eyes, pretty face."

"That's all?" Ragnor furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion.

"Yes," Magnus answered. "So do not fret, Ragnor, and just be relieved that I'm in a good mood because of that handsome painting. I'm pretty sure everybody else in this office is glad that I'm not being so caustic today."

"Fine," Ragnor replied. "So who's this beautiful young man are you talking about?"

Magnus smiled knowingly. "Yes," he said. "His name is Alexander Lightwood." He spoke his name with an unusual air of excitement, as if he had spoken a love poem.

The billionaire CEO had no idea why it happened, but he could see his friend suddenly blanch at the mention of Alec's name. Magnus hoped that Alec was not a part of Ragnor's past, or even worse, an ex-boyfriend. He was already crossing his fingers while thinking about it.

"Alexander Lightwood. You mean the eldest son of our arch nemesis in the industry of advertising?" Ragnor looked horrified. "Magnus, are you really out of your mind?"

.

.

.

Magnus was so taken aback by what Ragnor had said that he had invited him to lunch at a Spanish restaurant close to the office. Inviting Ragnor or Catarina out to dine was one of Magnus' coping mechanisms when an important twist happens in his already curious life, aside from drinking to the point of getting wasted.

"Are you saying that the current apple of my eye," Magnus spoke after swallowing a spoonful of paella, "is actually the heir to one of our top rivals in advertising?"

Ragnor nodded yes in response. "He's the eldest son of Robert and Maryse Lightwood, who owns the biggest advertising company in the country. They're the only reason why we aren't number one."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "And you know this fact while I don't because…?"

"I know because I've met him in one of the Lightwoods' business conventions, which you never attend." Ragnor answered irritably.

Magnus kept a note in his mind that he should be attending business conventions from now on. "I'm often busy."

"Whatever. You shouldn't mess with them," Ragnor spoke firmly. "Promise me you won't hit on their son."

Magnus frowned. "Why not?"

"Because the Lightwoods are hard to deal with," Ragnor said through gritted teeth. "Green-eyed monsters, you've described them yourself."

"Green-eyed monsters? But Alexander's eyes were blue."

"Magnus."

"Okay, fine." Magnus assured his friend, though a little sulkily. "I won't hit on Alexander, or any of the Lightwoods."

He kind of crossed his fingers when he made that promise.

.

.

.

Alec massaged his temples, hangover still hitting his head hard despite taking aspirin before going to the office. He put the blame on Jace, after he forced him to drink so much at the after party in a bar close to the gallery where Clary held the exhibit yesterday. Jace has always been the one to influence Alec to do wild stuff. Then again, Alec also blamed himself for easily giving in, despite being the older and the morally upright one.

Alec frowned at the images he was supposed to edit on the computer screen, headache drilling through his skull as he concentrated on the job before him. He was editing images needed for a review on a Broadway show about a group of five young men who have different professions and were living colorful lives as bachelors.

"You okay?"

Alec turned around in his swivel chair and looked upon Maia's worried face. "I'm fine."

"Are you really?" Maia raised an eyebrow. "I've heard from Clary. Jace made sure you got drunk last night so that you will file a sick leave."

"He forced me to drink so that I can have a day off?" Alec asked. He knew something was wrong when Jace dared him to finish a bottle of vodka.

Maia chuckled. "It was an ingenious plan. Too bad it didn't work. You're still here."

"Tomorrow's my day off, so it's fine." Alec went back to editing photos. "I didn't see you at the gallery, by the way."

"I couldn't go last night," Maia replied. "Bat needed me. Some sort of family emergency."

"Really?" Alec glanced back at her, with a look of concern on his face. "What happened?"

"Nothing dead serious, fortunately." Maia patted Alec's shoulder in an affectionate manner. "Hey," she whispered. "I'm serious when I said that you take a break. I know you love your job, but everyone notices that you barely have time to pamper yourself. Even Jace is making an effort to keep you from going to work."

"I know," Alec answered ruefully. He knew he could use a free time every now and then, but there's just a lot of things needed to be done. The summer issue was barely halfway done, and he knew Maia really needed help in persuading Magnus Bane to be interviewed. Alec felt like slapping himself for forgetting to ask for Magnus' contact number last night. "How about I promise you I won't be doing any work tomorrow?"

"That would be great. Don't do any work, no matter what. Go to a spa. Or stay home and watch Netflix. Just relax, and forget your job for a while."

Alec nodded. "Okay."

.

.

.

And so Alec Lightwood had decided to take a break on Sunday, despite all the concerns about the lifestyle magazine. He did not make any plans; he simply wanted to roam around the city, and do whatever idea that would come to mind. On days like this he would have brought Jace along, but after what the blonde had done to him at the after-party, Alec thought it might be better if Jace wouldn't meddle with his plans of relaxation.

He started his no-work day with a morning stroll around Central Park. Sporting a plain t-shirt, loose-fitting old Levi's, battered sneakers, and a black backpack, he could easily be mistaken for a loitering teenager, a backpacker, or even a homeless person. But Alec would never give a damn about what people think about his fashion sense; his day off was supposed to be stress-free, after all.

He still carried a camera, nonetheless. It was a lightweight Nikon SLR, the one he uses whenever he roams around to simply take pictures of anything that catches his eye. The Central Park was an interesting place to take photos: scenes of daily human activities in a beautiful, man-made sanctuary were fascinating. There was an old couple walking their two dogs, a group of kids running around the field, and two bubbly girls happily allowing Alec to photograph them while they were jogging.

"Are you gonna upload the pictures?" one of the girls said.

"Yes, if you won't mind me doing so," Alec replied with a smile that charmed the ladies instantly.

"Oh, great!" the other girl spoke. "I wanna see them soon. Got an IG account?"

Alec nodded in response. "Yeah, I do…let me tell you my account…"

.

.

.

"Hello? Magnus, where are you?"

"Good morning to you too, Ragnor," Magnus answered, one hand holding a mobile phone close to his ear, the other casually carrying a Kenneth Cole jacket. He stood at the front porch waiting for Claude to bring out the car from the garage.

"Magnus. Aren't you going to the office? We have a project to discuss, remember?"

"I trust you well enough to handle that yourself." Magnus felt like ditching business that day. Whenever he does, he leaves everything to Ragnor.

"Magnus, this is about the new building in Chicago. Are you sure you want to miss this?"

"I really don't get excited about infrastructures, so no. Besides, I have absolute faith in you, Ragnor. I'm sure you have everything covered." Claude finally arrived, pulled up Magnus' beloved Ferrari convertible in front of the mansion.

"Sir." Claude climbed out of the driver's seat, and left the door open for his master.

"Just report everything to me later," Magnus told Ragnor, and hung up. He then put on a pair of aviator shades, and hopped into the car.

Magnus Bane was having his own version of a day off by driving around the city for a day. And maybe stop by for a drink or two.

.

.

.

The second thing Alec did on his stress-free day was to get a cup of coffee. There was a nice little café not far away from the park, complete with some tables outside. Alec sat under the shade of a dark green umbrella, staring at the pictures on the screen of his camera in satisfaction while waiting for his drink. A few minutes later a waiter arrived with a cup of coffee latte plus some croissant.

Alec took a sip from his cup as he thought about what to do next. There were a lot of good shows on Broadway tonight, and it's been a while since he last went to see a musical on his own. A spa seemed to be a tempting idea as well. Or maybe he could go to the mall and check out some new cameras on sale. He could buy Max a new comic book as well. He would've bought something for Izzy too, but his sister was too meticulous when it comes to buying stuff so he had already decided against buying her a gift.

As Alec mulled over what to do next, a young man promptly tripped and fell on the ground right at his feet. Alec almost spilled coffee on the poor guy, who seemed to be late for some sort of business meeting. Alec could tell because the man wore a crisp white shirt and black Ralph Lauren pants, and was carrying a backpack and a black tube-shaped case.

_**An architect?**_ Alec raised an eyebrow in wonder. "Are you all right?" he asked.

The man stood up, his back facing Alec. He has platinum blonde hair, which was supposed to be slicked back but was now messed up due to the accident. He looked vaguely familiar. "Yeah," he said. "I'm fine. Thanks. Sorry."

The guy seemed flustered, and it made Alec worry a bit. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, I – " the guy stared at his wristwatch, and began to run again. "Christ, I'm gonna be late!"

Alec watched the guy's back in confusion. His eyes then went to the ground, and saw a thick black sketchbook. He picked it up, but as he got out of his chair to follow him, the guy has already disappeared in the crowd.

.

.

.

Magnus clearly had no regrets leaving Ragnor to represent him at the meeting for the company's new building in Chicago. He knew Ragnor knew his aesthetics very well. Besides, he had picked the right guy for the job. Magnus had sent an aspiring young architect all the way from London, and he was certain that the guy won't let him down.

Now all he has to do was to relax, and drive around the city.

Or, he could stop by the small coffee shop where he could see Alec standing, looking at black object in his hand.

It was mere coincidence. Or it could be called destiny if Magnus begins to think like a hopeless romantic. Alec happened to be at a place close to where Magnus happened to park his Ferrari, to go to another shop nearby. Magnus peered at Alec through the lens of his aviator shades, wondering whether he should approach him or not.

_**It would be nice to start a casual conversation, right? But won't he start thinking I'm stalking him?**_ Magnus scowled. _**Why am I so flustered, like a highschool girl?**_

So he simply followed his instincts and walked over to where Alec was.

.

.

.

Alec eyed the sketchbook in his hands in puzzlement. He had no idea what to do with it. He could try finding its owner and return it, but how? New York is too big, not to mention too populous.

_**Maybe I should leave this thing here,**_ he thought. _**Maybe he'll come back here and look for it…**_

He was about to enter the café to hand the sketchbook to the staff, but he suddenly froze upon seeing the last person he thought he would ever see on his day off. Magnus Bane was fast approaching, looking chic in aviator shades, an eye-catching shirt, and Ferragamo pants.

Magnus went into a halt upon seeing him. He removed his glasses and stared at Alec through catlike eyes.

"Alexander Lightwood." He said in a singsong voice. "What a surprise."

_**I know, right?**_ Alec said to himself. Surprise is actually an understatement for him. "H-hi."

Magnus glanced around. "Are you on a date?"

"What? No," Alec replied, shocked at the idea that he was out on a date. "I'm spending my day off all alone."

"Seriously?" Magnus looked at Alec in disbelief.

Alec could not understand the other guy's reaction. "It's fine, isn't it? I mean, it's okay to have some me time…"

Magnus snorted in reply. "Are you kidding? That's quite boring, if you ask me." He grabbed Alec's hand and gently pulled him away from the coffee shop.

"Where are we going?" Alec asked anxiously.

Magnus grinned at him. "You're spending your day off with me."

"What?"

"I'll teach you how to properly spend one's free time…"

Before Alec even realized it, he was already riding around the city with Magnus in his shiny sportscar.

.

.

.

Ragnor Fell sat behind his desk in his office, wincing at his phone. He had been calling Magnus for the nth time in hopes of persuading him to attend the meeting. It was obviously futile; Magnus was hard to stop once he had made up his mind about anything. Ragnor could only heave a sigh of defeat.

His secretary, a plain-looking young man with sandy hair and thin-framed eyeglasses came in.

"Mr. Morgenstern's here, sir," he told Ragnor.

"Good," Ragnor answered. "I'll be at the conference room in a minute."

The secretary left, and Ragnor took a short moment to prep himself up for the meeting. Magnus had entrusted him with the arrangements regarding the building of the Chicago branch, and despite the man's recklessness and scandalous acts, there's no way Ragnor would let him down.

Ragnor took a deep breath before heading to the conference room. When he got there he saw a handsome young man with platinum blond hair and striking green eyes standing beside the long glass table, keenly checking a blueprint of the Chicago building.

"Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern," Ragnor spoke amicably. "It's been a while. I thought you were working at a firm in London."

Jonathan looked up from his blueprints and smiled at Ragnor. "Mr. Fell. I'm very happy to see you."

"Please, just call me Ragnor. Magnus' friends are also my friends…well, most of them." He shook Jonathan's hand. "I see that Magnus entrusted you the design for the new building."

Jonathan nodded in reply. "He says he has faith in my sense of architecture." He smirked. "Whatever that means."

Ragnor chuckled. "Magnus is a quirky kind of guy, but he knows how to assign the right people for a job. Shall we start the meeting?"

.

.

.

**Yep, Magnus is practically kidnapping Alec. XDD And what do you folks think about architect Morgenstern? I preferred putting Jonathan Christopher instead of Sebastian, especially because he never had a chance to appear as he is in TMI. And his scene in COHF still tears me apart. He deserves more, I think.**

**Yeah…so…I'm planning something.**

**Review? Please? Pretty please?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Lilypotter72: I'm glad you liked that I put the 'good' Jonathan instead of the 'evil' one.**

**BlazingFlames22: Oh, I'm so happy somebody agrees with me. I wish Cassie would make an AU where good Jonathan has been fighting alongside Clary and the others. To be honest I think he would be a fun character had he been good from the start.**

**DieHardSolangeloShipper: YES. And btw from what series is the Solangelo ship? I haven't been out of my cocoon in a while so I had no idea…**

**The High Warlock of Glitter: Hmm…maybe…but with a bit of Gossip Girl…**

**Everyone else: I'm not so sure about the character design of the 'good' Jonathan, and if I'm going to base it on the bits of what was written about him in CoHF, I would have to portray him as a quirky, protective brother with a sense of humor. But that's just what I think. I'm saying this because he might end up a tad OOC. Tell me your opinions about the 'good' Jonathan so that I can make a more canon version of him.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 5!**

**Douzo!**

.

.

.

Alec remembered his mother's rules when he was a kid. First was never talk to strangers, and the second one was to not allow that stranger to take you to some unknown place.

_**Funny that I'm not following either of those rules right now,**_ he thought while he was with Magnus in his sportscar.

By a sudden twist of fate did Alec encounter the notorious businessman at a coffee shop near Central Park. He could not remember how he ended up driving around the city with Magnus. Everything happened in a whim, and Alec truly did not expect it.

It was unexpected, but that did not mean that it was a bad thing.

For one, this was the chance Alec has been waiting for. He wanted to help Maia get Magnus on the cover story of the summer issue, and he knew he should take advantage of the situation. He was supposed to be taking a day off, but the opportunity was just too golden to let go.

_**I know I promised I won't do any work today, but…**_

"We could do a lot of things today," Magnus yelled over the sound of the wind and traffic.

"What?" Alec was too busy pondering that he barely heard him speak.

"I said we could do a lot of things today!" Magnus smiled, his amber eyes still on the road.

"Y-yeah," Alec answered with a nervous smile. _**Ask him, Alec. Ask him for an exclusive interview…**_

"I was thinking we should go to an amusement park or something," Magnus said, glancing at him for a second. "Do you like amusement parks?"

"It's been a while since I last went to an amusement park, so yeah." Alec forced a smile.

"When was the last time you went?"

"I don't really remember…ten years ago, I guess?" Alec did remember one time when he went to Disneyland together with Izzy and their parents. Their mom and dad were not so busy back then, and most importantly, they were not on the verge of divorce yet. It was one of the happiest moments in his childhood. The memory played like a vague cinematic in his mind, but it was one of those things he would cherish forever.

"You've never been to an amusement park for _**that**_ long?" Magnus said in disbelief. "My, I really should take you there!"

And he floored the accelerator without heeding the speed limit, pasting Alec against the back of his seat.

"I-if you could please follow the speed limit!" Alec pleaded anxiously.

.

.

.

Ragnor stared at the 3D model of what will be the company's building in Chicago. It was a magnificent obelisk of glass and iron consisting of more than fifty floors, modern in design and truly suited Magnus' aesthetic. An imperial needle representing Magnus' power which seemed to attempt piercing the sky. It stood over an entire block of lush greenery which could become a mini-park for the employees and guests. The design was so impressive, Ragnor was sure Magnus would finally take interest in architecture had he attended the meeting.

"I must say," Ragnor shook his head in amazement. This lad was barely twenty-three years old, and yet his design could beat any professional architect the world has ever known. "Jonathan, this is just…I'm speechless."

"That's a good thing, right?" Jonathan asked worryingly. He was smiling to hide his nervousness, and it made him look cute; if this wasn't Jocelyn's eldest born Ragnor knew that Magnus would hit on him.

Ragnor smiled at him. "Of course. This is just what Magnus would want for a building. I can't wait for the construction to begin."

Jonathan sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

Ragnor got up from his chair and reached out a hand. "I cannot wait to see this masterpiece of an infrastructure to be built."

Jonathan smiled, and shook his hand. "Thanks for entrusting this project to me."

And so the meeting had a happy ending, despite Magnus' absence. Ragnor had a moment to converse with the other members of the meeting and then walked over to where Jonathan stood, hoping to congratulate him by treating him out to lunch. The boy was fumbling in his backpack; his face, reminiscent of a handsome marble sculpture, was etched with frustration.

"Is there something wrong?" Ragnor asked.

Jonathan glanced at him, and shook his head. "Nothing you should worry about…I'm just looking for something."

"What is it?"

"My sketchpad. I think I accidentally dropped it somewhere…" Jonathan looked sullen. "It's a gift from my sister, so I really need to find it…"

.

.

.

"Uh…well," said Alec. "This is…nice."

Coney Island was a fun place to go to, and it was not where Alec would expect Magnus to go to spend a day off. Especially not together with a guy who has plain fashion sense like him. Then again, it was hard to imagine the things a notorious millionaire bachelor would do during free time. Looking at the circumstances, it almost seemed like…

_**A date,**_ Alec thought, and he felt his cheeks go warm. He wanted to slap himself for thinking such thing. He had seen the types of people Magnus had dated in the news; all of them were undeniably beautiful and sophisticated and certainly the kind that entice passion amongst members of high society. Why would someone like Magnus Bane be interested in him in the first place?

"My, isn't this wonderful," said Magnus. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Huh?"

"Where do you wanna go? You haven't been into an amusement park since you were a kid, right?" Magnus grinned. His grin was far too light for a dashing urbane like him, Alec thought, not that he was complaining. If anything, he found it pleasant to see the millionaire businessman's unknown side. "I'd suggest we ride the roller coaster first, but I figure you might get culture shock, so…"

"I'm fine with the roller coaster," Alec blurted out, and he felt like slapping himself again. He hasn't been on a roller coaster before, yet he found himself agreeing to whatever Magnus says. Alec hoped he wouldn't regret his decision.

"Great!" Magnus replied. "Let's go!"

.

.

.

Of all the amusement parks located in Coney Island, Luna Park was Magnus' most favorite. There was just something fun and old fashioned about the place, and to him he found it magical. Magnus did not have a pleasant childhood, and promised himself to have an adventurous and thrilling life as he gets older. He had first ventured into Luna Park when he first made investments at the island when he was nineteen years old. It has been his favorite secret hangout since then.

One of the perks of investing in your favorite amusement park on earth was that the staff knows you, and will keep the media away from you no matter what. And it's what Magnus really liked about; he can have fun all afternoon and need not to worry about paparazzi posting pictures of you riding the carousel the next day.

Of course, there's the fact that you can take anyone on a date at Luna Park.

_**If this has been an official date, of course,**_ Magnus thought as he and Alec got their tickets to the Thunderbolt, one of Luna Park's thrilling rollercoaster rides. He could get the tickets for free if he wanted to, but he felt like being generous at that time and gave money anyway.

He glanced at his companion. Alec looked as if he was about to faint. It was not much of a surprise, seeing that it was his first time to be in an amusement park in years.

"Is everything okay?" Magnus said, in a soft voice. "We could try the other rides if you don't like it here."

Alec glanced at him. "No, it's…okay," he said. "It's just my first time riding a rollercoaster."

"You know, I won't judge you if you're scared or anything. We can go somewhere else."

"No, I'm fine…this is fine." Alec looked pretty nervous, but when he looked at Magnus' eyes he seemed to relax almost immediately. There was grim determination in his clear blue eyes, which impressed Magnus. "I think I can do this. I want to."

"If you say so," Magnus, pleased by Alec's courage, smiled amusedly.

.

.

.

"Unbelievable," Alec said breathily after they got out of the Thunderbolt. "That was…"

"What?" Magnus asked in a worried tone. He wondered if the roller coaster ride terrified the poor boy. The Thunderbolt was known to scare the wits of many a first-time rider, after all; the ninety-degree steep, hundred feet dive plus a 122-degree turnaround was indeed scary even for Magnus. "Are you okay? We can take a break…"

"That was fun!" Alec was beaming, and his face brightened up. It made Magnus' heart flutter; he would be glad to ride a hundred more roller coasters if he could always see Alec look so happy. This was much better than looking at the million-dollar portrait of Alec hidden in his private gallery. Seeing Alec's facial expression was like going to unknown land – breathtaking, to say the least.

_**Christ, I'm getting cheesy again,**_ Magnus thought, and smiled in spite of himself.

Alec glanced at Magnus, stared at his face for a moment, and started to laugh. Magnus gave him a surprised look, and wondered if the ride had driven him mad.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Magnus would like to sue the park's owner if something went wrong with Alec, then remembered that he was one of its investors and decided to give the benefit of the doubt.

"Your hair," Alec could not stop laughing. "I'm sorry…your hair, it's just – "

Magnus looked up, and realized that his hair – which was naturally a hopeless, spiky mess – just got messier. "Oh." He chuckled, feeling mildly sheepish for the first time. "Don't worry. It's my natural do."

"Let me fix it." Alec leant in and kindly combed Magnus' hair with his hands. Magnus slightly started when he felt Alec's long fingers graze his hair. He wasn't new to sensations brought by physical contact; he had experienced pleasure from different men and women before. It was just that it has been a while since Magnus last felt such an affectionate touch that was devoid of debauchery or lust.

He held Alec's hands and gently removed them from his head. "That's enough," he said, though it took him a while to let go of Alec's hands. "My hair's hopeless, anyway."

Alec clearly misunderstood him and quickly drew his hands away, hiding them as if he was guilty of a crime. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get too familiar with you and touch you like that…"

"No, seriously, my hair is hopeless," Magnus told him offhandedly. "Not even expensive hair treatment can do anything about it."

"But you still manage to look good every single time." Alec remembered how Magnus looked in pictures, and when they first met at the gallery. "You look eccentric. But you also look glamorous."

"Am I really?" Magnus, sincerely appreciating a compliment for the first time, smiled. He began to wonder if Alec ever knew that he himself was good-looking. Not in the same, unique way as Magnus was, of course, but in a rather simple, understated way. Alec seemed to be the kind of person who finds beauty in everyone else but himself.

Alec, on the other hand, thought he had said something embarrassing. He had to avert his gaze in an attempt to hide his blush.

"Yeah." Alec looked around, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. In the end he tried to change the subject. "Look, is that a race track?"

.

.

.

Riding the Thunderbolt roller coaster for the first time has been the craziest thing Alec has ever done so far. Riding a few more scary rides at the park was the next thing. But he truly enjoyed it; it was the first time he actually enjoyed his day off. It was all thanks to Magnus, who was such a lively and entertaining companion.

"I can't believe you come to this kind of place," said Alec. "I mean, you're a well-known debonair of the Upper East Side…"

"Are you kidding?" Magnus replied. "Brooklyn's my paradise. There's no better place in New York…"

The two of them went strolling the boardwalk, taking a break after all the thrilling rides and fun games they've been to so that they can get a glimpse of the setting sun. Alec took a deep breath, and Magnus noticed how his entire body seemed to relax for the first time.

"It must have been a while since you last get to loosen up like this," Magnus said.

"Yeah," Alec replied weakly. "There have been a lot of things going on in my life I hadn't even thought of it…"

"Lots of things are going on in my life as well," Magnus contemplated. "And I always get to loosen up."

Alec laughed. "So I've heard."

"From the paparazzi?"

"You should realize that we've been chasing you for so long we have amassed a lot of news articles about your escapades."

Magnus felt slightly worried about how much Alec knows about his so-called escapades. It was the first time. "You must know a lot of things about me then."

"Not really." Alec shrugged. "Of course, that'll change once we get to have an interview with you." he was surprised at himself for being so bold, but he felt like asking him again that afternoon; the rollercoaster must have brought out all the courage within him.

"I thought you're having your day off today."

"Of course, but…it's just that my friend's been assigned to write a twenty-page article about you, and I am currently helping her…"

"Is that so…" Magnus fell silent as they walked past a group of Japanese tourists and beach goers leaving the coast. Alec began to feel anxious; he wondered if he got a bit too pushy. He hoped that Magnus was not put off by his persistence. He was about to apologize when Magnus suddenly came into a halt and began to speak.

"How about we make a deal?" Magnus asked.

"A deal?" Alec looked puzzled.

"Let's make a deal," Magnus' amber eyes seemed to twinkle in the afternoon light. "You can feature me in your summer issue. Though I can't promise that I will be able to answer all of your questions – it took me years to establish my scandalous reputation, and I would like to preserve my mysterious appeal."

Alec's jaw dropped in total disbelief. Finally, after months of sending emails and making phone calls, the elusive businessman Magnus Bane, controversial CEO and notorious bachelor, finally agreed to have an interview with their magazine. Maia will probably treat him to a year's worth of coffee after this.

"Of course, you must do me a favor in return."

"Sure," Alec was too glad to even think twice about the offer. "Anything. What is it?"

"Hmm…" Magnus found it hard to come up with something. He would like to ask for a date, but knowing that Alec must have read about his numerous love affairs in tabloid articles, he did not want to appear aggressive and a total flirt. He definitely would not want Alec to think of him as a philandering roué. Magnus has a lot of connections with other people, be it business or amorous or social. Some of them have been severed long ago while some remained until now; this connection he has with Alec, while still new and thin and fragile, was something he would like to keep for long. "I haven't thought of it yet."

"Oh."

"Don't worry," said Magnus airily. "I'll come up with something."

A few minutes later they have come to an open space where people had gathered around a huge screen.

"Oh, look," said Magnus. "It's a movie. They're playing Frozen."

.

.

.

They had spent a few more hours watching a Disney flick by the seaside (not that Magnus was fond of watching animated movies; he just wanted to spend more time with Alec) before deciding to call it a day. If he had a choice, Magnus would have wanted to be with Alec until it was late in the evening, maybe even until after midnight, but he had work tomorrow…well, he really doesn't give a damn about work because he had Ragnor to take care of things, but he was pretty sure Alec himself also has a tight schedule. He had offered a ride home, but Alec insisted to drop by the nearest subway station. The millionaire bachelor, in an effort not to be pushy, tried not to mind.

Magnus pulled up at a parking space not far from the station. He did not tell Alec to leave the car nor did he say goodbye. He quietly sat there, waiting for Alec as if he knew the boy was about to say something but just could not find the words.

Alec indeed felt as if he was tongue-tied. He wanted say something, like a parting speech, or anything that would perfectly define how happy he was spending the day with Magnus.

"Um," Alec said. "I just want to say thank you."

Magnus was caught off guard by this statement. Not even his clients whom he had saved from bankruptcy had been truly grateful to him before, yet Alec, whom he only accompanied for one adventurous day, was sincerely expressing his gratitude. "For what?"

"This is the first time I've spent a day like this." Alec smiled. "When I was about to ride the rollercoaster I was supposed to be scared, but you were with me and all my fears disappeared. I've never been so into a conversation with someone I've barely known. And I never thought I would have fun watching a movie by the seaside. I…" he had spoken so rapidly and so excitedly he had to take a moment to breathe. "I've never had so much fun."

It was the thing Magnus least expected to hear at the end of his first unofficial date with Alec. When he had practically kidnapped Alec at the café, all he wanted to do was to take this deliriously handsome guy out on a journey neither of them had anticipated, not expecting anything in return. And yet, Alec was thanking him for giving him the time of his life. It made Magnus feel fulfilled, as if he had achieved something greater than when he first closed an important deal or earned his first million dollar in business.

Magnus found it exhilarating that he had such an effect on Alec, that he could cause him his happiness.

"I think I gotta go. Bye." Alec found himself at an awkward situation again after staying in the car for too long and said embarrassing things to a guy whom he found amazing. He was about to get out of the car when Magnus held him by the arm, stopping him.

"Remember the deal we made a while ago?" Magnus said.

"What about it?" Alec asked.

Something extraordinary happened to Magnus. He was hesitating, something which rarely ever happened to him. He has been known to live a wild and exciting life, not really caring much about what others think. But he cared about what Alec thinks, about how he can keep him happy for long.

"I think," Magnus spoke slowly. "I've come up with something to ask in return."

He did not wait for Alec's response. Magnus leant in, and touched Alec's face; he gently pulled him into a kiss. He kissed him with care and passion restrained; he wanted Alec to decide, he wanted Alec to have the chance to draw back. Magnus felt Alec's body tense in surprise, and slowly relax afterward. He did not feel Alexander recoil from him; instead he felt him respond, slowly and hesitantly at first, his manner inexperienced but was giving everything he's got afterward. It was then he knew that Alec has his heart open to him; all Magnus had to do was to accept it, and decide if he was to break or cherish it.

Magnus had come to a decision a long time ago.

Magnus pulled back, and stared at a gasping, blushing Alec.

"Do me a favor, Alexander," he said. "Allow me to see you again."

.

.

.

**Again, sorry for the late update! Please leave a review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hiiiii.**

**DieHardSolangeloShipper: Thanks for telling me about Solangelo. Maybe I'll read about them once I earn enough money. I just bought my own copy of The Bane Chronicles and Roget's Thesaurus of Words for Writers - which I hope would come in handy as I write this fanfic – and so I'm totally broke right now.**

**Lilypotter72: Thanks for the comment. Indeed, I've reread my chapters and noticed that Jonathan seemed to be a nervous person, which is not exactly what I want him to be…unless of course, if we put a story behind that personality… ;)**

**Everyone else: What do you guys think of casting Harry Shum Jr. as the fabulous Magnus Bane? I think it's actually cool, considering that he's aging like a warlock (he's not aging at all). And how about Matthew Daddario as Alec? **

**BTW: It may take me a while to update, so please bear with me.**

**Douzo!**

.

.

.

When Alec woke up in his bed he realized he had fallen asleep without brushing his teeth or taking a shower. He even forgot to change into sleeping clothes.

Alec sat up, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he recalled the events that took place yesterday. He combed back his messy black hair and remembered it all; the morning he spent at the park, the hours he spent at the café, and Magnus.

_**Oh, god, Magnus…**_Alec thought. Just thinking about the time he had spent with the millionaire bachelor made his heart beat a million times faster than ever before. Images of the moments they've spent together immediately flooded his mind: Magnus taking him to Coney Island, the time when they rode the rollercoaster, their lively chat while strolling down the boardwalk, the movie they watched outdoors in the evening.

Most importantly, Alec remembered how they kissed inside Magnus's car.

Alec closed his eyes. He could still remember the way Magnus's lips pressed gently against his own; how his touch burned like fire and how he made him feel more alive than ever before. He could still remember how Magnus had spoken those words which made his heart miss a beat.

_**Do me a favor, Alexander. Allow me to see you again.**_

Alec could not believe things could go this far so soon between them.

He was quickly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard someone knocking on the door.

"Alec?" Max spoke on the other side. "You awake?"

"Yeah," Alec answered, groggily. "Come in."

Max entered the room. He was already in his school uniform, donning a red blazer over an expensive shirt and tie, with black slacks and shoes. In his hand was a mug filled with warm, freshly brewed coffee.

"Good morning," Max greeted with a smile.

Alec smiled back. "Good morning."

"I would have brought you breakfast on bed, but the maids have more than enough work to do and Izzy said my cooking's horrible." Max sat on the edge of the bed and gave the coffee to Alec. "You got home late last night."

"I don't recall how I got home, let alone what time." Alec took a sip.

Max snorted. "That's funny. You don't reek of alcohol."

"I wasn't drunk. I just don't remember how I got here."

"Hmm…" Max mused. "Judging by the condition of your shoes last night, I'd say you took a walk. A pretty long walk."

And the memory of how Alec got home gradually came back. Just after he got out of Magnus' car – after the kiss – he did not feel like taking the subway. He took a walk instead; he wanted to think, he wanted to calm himself down.

"Yeah," Alec muttered. "I think I walked all the way here."

"From where exactly?"

Alec hesitated for a moment. Should he tell his brother? He knew Max was an understanding person, and just like Isabelle he would love him no matter what, but Alec was not ready to confess his love life to him just yet. "I…went to Coney Island."

Max furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips. It was the most childish expression Alec had seen on his face since he turned thirteen. "You went to Coney Island. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Max," Alec replied apologetically. "I promise I'll take you there next time."

"Okay…" Max answered, albeit a little sulkily.

Alec smiled kindly and patted his brother's head affectionately. "Aren't you supposed to go to school by now? What time is it, by the way?" he glanced at the digital alarm clock on the bedside table blinking 8:30 am. He suddenly blanched. "Oh no."

"What?" Max arched his eyebrows in puzzlement. Alec jumped off his bed, and rushed into the bathroom. He was late for work.

.

.

.

"You're late," said Maia when Alec arrived at the office. "It's okay. You rarely get late, anyway. Just don't get used to it."

She eyed Alec from head to toe quizzically. "You look good today. Going somewhere?"

Alec looked at her wide-eyed while panting; he had been running all the way to the office. He then took a moment to stare at himself. He was wearing a light green jacket over a patterned shirt of the same color, which Isabelle had given him a year ago and had forgotten in his closet for a while. It fit smaller than Alec remembered, but it seemed to do wonders for his upper body. He also wore a pair of perfectly tailored light grey pants, and a pair of leather loafers. It was simple, rather casual attire, but it was surely an upgrade from his usually shabby monochromatic garb.

"It's not bad, is it?" Alec asked worryingly. Despite getting up late he suddenly had the urge to veer away from his usual gray fashion.

"Are you kidding?" Maia grinned. "You're perfectly dressed for today. The boss is treating us to a night's worth of cocktails later. The elusive Mr. Bane has finally agreed to be on the cover of our magazine."

.

.

.

"I've heard that you agreed to an exclusive interview with a famous lifestyle magazine." Ragnor was in Magnus's office to report about the meeting yesterday. Magnus sat behind the desk, looking austere in a light grey waistcoat over a white shirt and finely-cut Armani pants. Ragnor eyed the CEO from head to foot worryingly; Magnus looked undeniably handsome in his sober attire, but he was known to wear sober attire when he was in a heavy mood.

"I'm starting to get suspicious of you, Ragnor. Just where are you getting your information from?" Magnus eyed his friend through the ungraded lens of his dark-framed eyeglasses which sole purpose was to match his outfit.

"News spread faster than lightning in this building. So, did you really?" Ragnor watched his friend keenly as Magnus perused the documents on his desk. "This isn't like you. You always said the media men are as pesky as fleas. You even ignored Forbes last year."

"I had a change of heart," Magnus answered incongruously.

Ragnor did not believe a word he said. "And what made you have a change of heart?"

Magnus looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Publicity, perhaps?"

Ragnor folded his arms across his chest and stared at him, unimpressed. Magnus sighed loudly and raised his arms in defeat.

"What now?" Magnus spoke in an exasperated tone. "I've done a lot of things in my life. How can this be so different?"

"I just noticed that you've been changing your opinion on a lot of things lately," said Ragnor. "First the Lightwoods, now the journalists."

"You know that I am a spontaneous person, Ragnor."

"Yes, but…"

"Ignore the trifle things for now." There was a slight edge in Magnus' voice which startled Ragnor. "How was the meeting with Jonathan?"

"It went very well," Ragnor replied, smiling despite the sudden tension between them. "I think Jonathan is some kind of prodigy."

"I think so too," Magnus agreed; the tension vanished as soon as it had occurred. He then added, thoughtfully: "Too bad his father couldn't accept him entirely as he is."

"What?"

"Nothing. So you approved the design?"

"You can see for it yourself, if you're having doubts…"

"Me? Doubt you? You've been with me and Catarina for more than a decade, and you still think I doubt you?" Magnus laughed, which was a relief to Ragnor. His CEO friend was quick to change moods sometimes. "Anyway, I think we should celebrate. Drink's on me tonight."

.

.

.

Alec could not believe that Magnus Bane fulfilled his part of the deal. The millionaire had had his secretary send Maia a letter saying that he would agree to an exclusive interview, and would like to set up a meeting to talk about the conditions – the kind of questions he would answer, the place where they could have a photo shoot, even the clothes he was going to wear.

Just thinking about how Magnus fulfilled his promise made Alec's heart beat so fast.

_**Should I fulfill my part of the deal as well?**_ He asked himself as he and Maia entered the club where the editor-in-chief was about to treat them to bottomless martini and more.

"We're going to a nightclub," Alec said. "On a Monday night?"

"So what?" Maia answered carelessly. "Even the boss will get a hangover tomorrow, so we're all gonna be fine…"

Alec glanced around uncomfortably; he was never fond of nightclubs, especially after what Jace had done to him at Clary's after-party. The blinking lights, the loud, upbeat music, and all the grinding and jumping and swaying glamorous people were making him feel slightly uneasy. Partying was just not his thing.

"Magnus Bane had only agreed to have an interview with us just now," he said. "Aren't we getting too ahead of ourselves?"

Maia laughed. "Not really. The boss is treating us also because it was her birthday yesterday and she only celebrated with her family. Tonight's the night she celebrates with us."

"Really?" Alec frowned; he had forgotten that it was his boss' birthday yesterday. He felt guilty all of a sudden. "I forgot to buy her a gift…"

"No, you haven't." Alec turned around to find the editor-in-chief smiling at him. "You got me the best gift, darling." She clapped him on the shoulder playfully. "I know you belong to a well-known family, but to think that your connections include Mr. Bane!"

Alec paled, and then went red. How much does the editor know about his _**connection**_ with Magnus? "We're not really that acquainted with each other…"

"Is that so?" the editor's smile faltered. "Well, that is fine. Mr. Bane said he only agreed to the interview because he trusts you. He even wants you to photograph him for the cover."

"Did he really?" Alec was speechless. He finally understood that Magnus was more than interested in him.

The boss nodded. "That's why I thought you knew each other very well." she then shove him a drink, daiquiri, and giggled. "But it doesn't matter, so long as Mr. Bane appears on the cover of our magazine this summer!"

.

.

.

The company's new building in Chicago was now under construction, he was about to appear on the cover of a famous magazine, and he had just kissed the most gorgeous boy he had ever met. Clearly Magnus had every reason to go out on a Monday night to drink, and more importantly to party.

It took Magnus and Ragnor a while before they get to the nightclub where they were planning to have a light celebration together. Apparently Magnus spent an hour or two putting on a fabulous outfit for the evening: from his stern business attire he changed into a sequined black sweater, tight-fitting red jeans, and matching shoes. Ragnor simply removed his suit jacket; thanks to Magnus he no longer had time for wardrobe change.

"You're lucky I know the owner of this place – we don't need reservations," said Ragnor. He and Magnus walked past the long line of people waiting to get inside the club.

"I like your choice of associates, Ragnor," Magnus grinned. "I see that you have a bunch of vivacious people in your circle, which is quite ironic since everyone knows how grumpy you are. Then again, a lot of people say opposites do attract."

"Good," Ragnor smiled in smugly in return. "I want to introduce you to him, before anything else – " he suddenly froze, and Magnus almost ran into him as he walked inside.

"What?" Magnus held his friend by the shoulders.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else," Ragnor spoke slowly.

Magnus snorted. "Why? Have you seen one of your ex-girlfriends here?" he said jokingly as he walked around Ragnor, ignoring his friend's protests. "I'd like to meet her…"

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Alec, sitting languidly by the bar.

"Alexander?"

.

.

.

As everyone was spending the night partying hard, Alec strayed away from his companions to go get himself a drink at the bar. It wasn't as if he did not appreciate the editor-in-chief treating everyone that night. He just was not as sanguine as his co-workers are.

He sat by the counter, and ordered for gin and tonic. Alec was not a hard drinker – he only drinks occasionally, and only when Jace forces him to – but he felt like taking some alcohol for a change. He had to ignore a wink from one the club-goers – a guy, much to his mild surprise – and made a silent announcement to the world that he was not looking forward for a hookup.

The bartender was quick to give him his drink. Alec took the gin and tonic and drank in one straight gulp. He heaved a sigh so weary he seemed to be the most miserable person in the world, though truth be told he wasn't, for he was only in a state of confusion just thinking about a certain amber-eyed bachelor.

"Alexander?"

At first Alec thought the gin had a strong effect on him because he was already hearing Magnus speak inside his head.

"Really," Alec moaned. "Just get out of my head already."

Then he felt the presence of someone standing beside him, and glanced up to see Magnus smiling amusedly at him.

"I'm glad to know that I'm always in your mind," Magnus purred flirtatiously.

Alec jolted, and stared at the millionaire bachelor, his clear blue eyes wide with both shock and horror. He instantly went red, very much to Magnus's amusement.

"Uh…" Alec remained frozen at the counter, staring at Magnus in disbelief. They've been encountering each other so often that Alec thought New York was actually getting smaller.

"What a surprise," Magnus said with a smirk. "I didn't take you for someone who goes to nightclubs on a Monday night, Alexander."

"Um, well…" Alec was spared from having to explain himself by Maia walking over towards them.

"Alec, why are you here? Boss won't blow the birthday candle without you." Maia stopped right between Alec and Magnus, and it was only then that she noticed that Alec has company. She glanced at Magnus and her jaw dropped upon recognizing him.

"_**Magnus Bane**_," Maia spoke breathily in utter disbelief as if she had seen someone so holy. "Who would have thought – "

"I assume," Magnus spoke to Alec. "That she is the friend you were talking about yesterday?"

Alec was still speechless, so he simply gave a nod in response. Maia eyed Alec for a second, and then Magnus.

"You went out together yesterday?" she asked, sensing something interesting going on between the two males.

"We accidentally ran into each other," Alec spoke rather hastily.

"Yep," Magnus said with a shrug, although his smile seemed to suggest something that was only between him and Alec, making Maia more curious. "It was totally unplanned."

"Oh," Maia stared at Alec and arched her eyebrows suggestively. Alec gave her a taut smile.

Ragnor suddenly appeared beside Magnus and grabbed his arm. "Come on, we must go…"

"Give me a break, Ragnor," Magnus rolled his eyes. "We're all here to celebrate, aren't we?" he glanced at Maia. "You said something about your boss having her birthday party tonight?"

"Yeah," Maia replied, grinning from ear to ear. "Care to join us?"

Magnus gave a slanting look at Ragnor, who groaned loudly in exasperation. He looked at Alec afterwards; the boy looked nervous and hopeful at the same time, as if he was uncertain whether he wanted Magnus near him or not. Magnus found himself enjoying Alec's hesitation, thinking that Alec wondering whether he truly likes him or not was better than not wondering at all.

"It's our pleasure," Magnus said, his amber eyes still fixed on Alec.

.

.

.

Ragnor, despite disapproving Magnus partying with the staff of the lifestyle magazine, had been generous enough to tell the owner of the nightclub to have a happy hour in celebration of the editor in chief's birthday. The DJ played a party track, and booze overflowed. Magnus popped the cork of the expensive champagne he bought and glasses were raised merrily.

"To our professions and to success, and to more hangovers that come along with it," Magnus announced, and everyone laughed as they clink each other's flute. Even Alec could not hide a wide grin; there was no denying the charisma of Magnus Bane, whose middle name was 'life of the party'.

Magnus, on the other hand, enjoyed entertaining everyone. He most especially enjoyed amusing Alec, making himself the life of the party for the sake of seeing him come to life. He knew the boy was naturally shy, and needed coaxing in order to loosen up.

Alec did seem to relax, after glass of champagne or three. He sat at the back of their booth, smiling and laughing as he watched everyone have the time of their lives.

"Glad to see you're having fun."

Magnus promptly sat beside Alec in the booth. Alec stole a sidelong look at him; he then noticed that Magnus had an attractive profile, almost like a handsome sculpture if it weren't for those amber eyes which were full of life.

"If you keep on staring at me like that, I might lose control and kiss you again," Magnus said, loud enough for only Alec to hear.

Alec felt his cheeks go warm. His gaze quickly went to the glass of champagne he was holding. "S-sorry."

"I'm just kidding," Magnus chuckled.

"Oh." Alec laughed shortly.

"Having fun?"

"Yeah. All thanks to you." Alec spoke the words with such plain sincerity that Magnus could not help but appreciate.

"You're welcome." Magnus told him with a smile. "Magnus Bane, party entertainment provider at your service."

Alec laughed. _**He looked so carefree,**_ Magnus thought fondly, _**albeit tipsy kind of carefree.**_

"Nice outfit, by the way." Magnus eyed Alec from head to toe. "Way better than the shirt and jeans you wore yesterday."

"Thanks." Alec blushed, looking shy and pleased at the same time. "You look good too, you know."

"Alec!" Maia walked over to them and grabbed Alec's arm. "Come with me to the dance floor."

"What? No." Alec shook his head. "I can't dance – "

"It doesn't matter," Maia said offhandedly as she tugged Alec's arm. "Let's go!"

Alec glanced helplessly at Magnus, who simply shrugged at him.

"You only live once," said Magnus. "You know, the thing about nightclubs is that getting drunk is a good excuse for bad dancing skills."

Alec frowned, and Maia successfully pulled him away into the dance floor. Magnus watched enthusiastically as Maia coaxed Alec to dance. The boy was extremely shy, the kind who finds it hard to tell who he was or how he feels because he did not want to hurt others. Exactly his opposite, for Magnus was reckless most of the time.

"You're his exact opposite, you know." Ragnor sat beside Magnus, who moved aside to give him some space.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Magnus agreed before pouring himself another glass of champagne.

"No, really," said Ragnor. "You're polar opposites. Not the antithesis kind of polar opposites, though. If anything, you seem to balance each other." He heaved a sigh. "Too bad he's a Lightwood."

"That's not exactly a bad thing, right?" Magnus asked.

"Business-wise, it is."

"But relationship-wise…"

"Magnus, don't even think about dating the boy." Ragnor spoke pleadingly. "I mean, look at him. He's young and innocent and obviously has no idea what kind of love life you're living. Chances are, he'll be the one who'll get hurt the most when things go awry."

"You make me sound like a bad boyfriend." Magnus frowned. His eyes were fixed on Alec who was shyly swaying to the music, along with Maia.

"You're not. But there are times when you can't work things out, Magnus. It has happened so many times. Are you sure he can take it?"

"I don't know," Magnus replied. "But I am very willing to give it a shot."

He somehow hoped that Alec feels the same.

.

.

.

Alec splashed cold water on his face to ease himself of budding headache. He knew he was already drunk; it's only a matter of time before he finally gets wasted. He stared at his reflection in the mirror: messy jet-black hair, flushed face, and clouded eyes. He still has work tomorrow. Maybe he should go home.

"Are you all right?"

Alec started when he saw Magnus's tall image in the mirror. He hadn't realized that the man was already standing behind him. Alec quickly turned around, and almost stumbled clumsily against the sink upon doing so.

"I – I'm sorry," Alec muttered, blushing in embarrassment. "I'm starting to feel dizzy I guess."

"I can see that," Magnus said with a kind smile. Alec began to feel more than embarrassed that he averted his gaze right away.

"About yesterday…"

"What about it?" Magnus asked, though he already knew the answer.

Alec tried his best to look at him in the face, failed miserably, and gazed at his shoes instead. "We…had a deal, and you fulfilled your part…"

"I'm a man of my word," Magnus replied coolly.

"Of course, that means I must do my part as well…" Alec bit his lip. He was not sure how to ask Magnus out; he never had a date since high school, when Izzy fixed him up with a pretty girl from the drama club. She didn't know he was gay back then. "So what do you think…dinner? Friday night?"

He lowered his gaze, not wanting to see the look on Magnus's face. He hated himself for being bad at this, for being unlike Jace or Isabelle who were not shy when it comes to asking someone out on a date.

Then he heard Magnus spoke. "Sure. I'll make the reservations, if you don't mind."

Alec looked up to see Magnus smiling at him. "Sure. Okay."

Alec had no idea what else to say. He was too excited for Friday night.

.

.

.

**Gomen gomen. I'm allotting an entire month to look for a job so, I probably won't update for a while. But I will, don't worry!**


	7. Chapter 7

**lilypotter72: I have a lot of favorite Bane Chronicles stories (i.e., the ones which didn't include Camille, because I hate her) but I think the most hilarious ones would be What Really Happened in Peru and The Voicemail of Magnus Bane. I keep on rereading The Course of True Love (And First Dates) though, I mean, I can't help it. It's Malec, after all. BTW I do kinda see Ragnor as practical (compared to Magnus; after all, Magnus even goes so far as using actual magic on his hair for fashion's sake). I'm not sure if I'm ending up making him OOC, but then again he's a businessman in this story, so… **

**DieHardSolangeloShipper: Oh, yes they do. ;)**

**The High Warlock of Glitter: Thanks. I'm glad you liked the idea.**

**To Everyone: Okay, I'm really, REALLY sorry this update came (WAAAAAAAAAY) too late, but I'm too busy with work, to the point that I could only update one story at a time (those who have read my Haikyuu fanfics would know). I'm about to declare that I'm on a hiatus…but I don't wanna… *cries***

**Douzo!**

.

.

.

"Iz?" Alec knocked lightly against the door to Isabelle's room. He found it unlocked, and so he opened it slightly and peered around. "Where are you?"

"I'm here," Isabelle shouted. "Come in."

Alec walked in. He found his sister sitting in front of the vanity table, dressed up in a red DVF outfit, colorful rollers dangling all over her hair. She was putting on her makeup.

"Going somewhere?" Alec asked.

"Yeah," Isabelle answered as she applied red lipstick on. "Simon asked me out on a double date together with Jace and Clary to make up for the days he spent on the West Coast and away from me."

"Oh." Alec thought that this was a bad moment to ask for some dating advice, so he simply decided to forget it and smiled. "I guess I should just go…"

"What? Why?" Isabelle turned around sharply after immediately sensing that something was up. "You just came in. Are you going to tell me something?"

"Uh, well…" Alec said, in his usual manner as if he was used to being not prioritized and he was fine with it. "I'm going to a formal dinner this Friday and I would like to ask for help in buying a suit, but it turns out you are busy…"

Alec received a call from Magnus, who apparently reserved a table for two at a very expensive French restaurant. It obviously meant formal attire, and yet Alec could not help but panic because he could not find anything fit for the special occasion in his closet. Well, there were a lot of good (not to mention _**expensive**_) stuff in his wardrobe, but for some reason, Alec felt unsatisfied with his options, regardless of his outlook towards fashion.

His sister blinked at him twice, the idea of him asking for help in buying clothes still registering in her mind.

"I should just go back to my room and edit those photos for the magazine…" Alec said as he backed away towards the door. He had phoned his editor that he would finish his work at home a while ago.

"Hold up for a sec," Isabelle said, and she quickly grabbed her phone. Her fingers hovered rapidly over the touch pad as she searched through her contact list and made a phone call. "Simon? Hey…I know we are supposed to go out today, but there's an emergency…well, it may not seem to be an emergency for you, but Alec is asking help in buying a suit for a formal dinner…I really can't explain the details, but we both know that Alec rarely asks for help in buying clothes, so there's no way I'm gonna miss this…" she smiled, as if her boyfriend was there to see it. "Okay. I have to go, before my brother changes his mind. Bye." She put the phone on the table, and looked up at a surprised Alec. "Give me fifteen minutes. Don't go anywhere else."

"Sure. Um, okay." Alec was too astounded to say anything else.

.

.

.

Simon Lewis winced at his phone as if he picked up a weird specimen. Jace looked at him, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. The two of them were sitting at a booth inside a nice twenty-four hour diner that was one of Clary's favorite hangouts. They were supposed to go out on a secret double date (secret meaning staying away from the press as much as possible), Jace and Clary and Simon and Isabelle. But apparently Isabelle could not come, prioritizing her brother's fashion emergency above anything else, so it was only Jace and Clary and the now-lonely chaperone Simon.

"What did she say?" Jace asked, sensing an amusing story.

"Unbelievable," Simon muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "She said she has to help Alec in shopping for a dinner suit."

"That's the most unique excuse I've ever heard." Jace leant against the back of his seat. "Alec never shopped for any clothes."

"'Exactly why I said it was unbelievable."

"I don't get it. Why would she make such an excuse?"

"How in the world would I know?" Simon looked really exasperated; he had been preparing for their double date since the day he started his concert tour.

Jace gazed at him unsympathetically. "Maybe you did something wrong…"

"What?" the look of horror in Simon's face was priceless. "Oh god. I hope it wasn't about The Rollingstones?"

"Rolling stones? What on earth are you talking about?"

"You classical musicians really are something, you know," Simon said sarcastically.

"Thanks," Jace grinned; Simon wasn't sure if he was serious, or he was just trying to piss him off.

.

.

.

"So…what's this dinner all about?" Isabelle asked. She was unable to hide her curiosity.

Alec moved a few inches away from her at the backseat of the BMW and kept his mouth shut, hoping that his sister would stop asking him questions about the formal dinner on Friday. He still hasn't told anyone about him dating Magnus; he thought it was not the right time. Moreover, he was pretty much aware of the fact that Magnus was not the most favorite person of his parents. It's best to keep his love life secret from his own family.

"It's…just a simple dinner," Alec, forever a horrible liar, replied.

"With who?" Isabelle went on.

"I'm going out with a friend."

"Are you going out on a date?"

"Um, no."

Isabelle's eyes brightened up, seeing through things right away. "You **are**."

"No," Alec insisted anxiously. "I'm not – I'm not going out on a date."

"Why do you have to hide it from me? I can keep a secret." Isabelle grinned from ear to ear. "What's his name?"

"Iz!"

"Oh, come on. I'm your sister. Who is he?" she leaned in, her dark eyes looking at him inquiringly. "Is he smoking hot?"

"Iz – " Alec found it hard to get out of the situation. He was locked up inside a moving car, after all. "Please. I don't think I should tell the details just yet."

"Why?" Isabelle could not stop asking. Her beloved older brother now has his own love life. She believed it was her very right as a sister to be curious about it. "Fine – I won't ask his name, okay? Just describe him to me. How does he look like? Is he cute? When and where have you first met?"

Alec knew that with Isabelle, resistance is futile, so he finally gave in. "We…met at Clary's art exhibit," he said. He thought about what Magnus was like – his looks, his eccentricity, his sense of humor, and his ability to make every moment fun. He found himself smiling as he recalled everything. "He's really good-looking, and he always makes me laugh. And he likes to party." He did not bother telling his sister about Magnus's gaudy fashion sense; that would have been too much of a giveaway. He might as well tell her who his date was.

"Sounds like we're gonna get along," Isabelle replied with an honestly happy smile. "Of course, that'll only happen if he truly loves you. If he breaks your heart I'm going to kill him."

"You don't have to go that far."

"I mean it." Isabelle sounded serious. "You're such a nice and loving person. I won't allow anyone to hurt you."

Alec smiled at his overprotective sister. "Thanks."

"Well then. How would you like to look in front of this apparently-good-looking-guy-who-likes-to-party?"

.

.

.

"How should I look on my first date with him?" Magnus, for the very first time in his life, asked the question he never thought he would ask.

Catarina Loss glared at the gaudily-dressed businessman sitting at the table opposite her. "Really, Magnus? You came all the way **here**, in my hospital, just to ask that stupid question?"

Magnus shrugged indifferently. "Well, there's no way you're leaving this hospital just to have coffee with me. So I have to adapt." He eyed the small cup of what he thought was warm, muddy pitch placed in front of him. "Even if your cappuccino here is disgusting."

"Nobody asked you to come here. And didn't Ragnor warn you about _**not**_ dating the Lightwood boy?"

"His name is Alexander." Magnus narrowed his eyes at her, as if Alec's full name was as important as the universal laws of physics.

"Alexander, huh?" Catarina's lips curled into a smile. "You two are **that** close now?"

"I just think Alexander is a lovely name, which is befitting him so perfectly," said Magnus. "And we will be very close in the future. That I am sure."

"So you really don't care if he's the son of the only people keeping you from expanding your business empire?"

"I don't mind it, really. I mean, I still have my larger businesses. My advertising company was originally built for the sake of making ads for my company's products without the hassle. It wasn't even meant to be a business in the first place; it was actually supposed to be just a part of the Media and Marketing Department."

"So you think it won't be much of a loss if things go awry," Catarina replied. "But what about Alec? Won't it be a huge loss to his family? They're the real advertisement mogul here."

"I promise I won't meddle with their business, I only care about their gorgeous baby boy." Magnus grinned at her.

"Well, if none of us can stop you…" Catarina shook her head, smiling. "Who am I kidding? Of course no one can stop you from doing what you want. You're always like that."

"You still haven't answered my question. How should I look on my first date with Alexander?"

"Magnus, just don't scare him off with too much glitter and you'll be fine."

"You're starting to become as mean as Ragnor, you know. Are you sure you two are not secretly dating?"

.

.

.

"Do I really have to try all of these?" Alec asked. He felt terrorized by all the clothes that are being shown to him. "It's just one dinner. I'm not going on a business trip or something."

Isabelle did not seem to hear a word of what he was saying. She went on browsing for suits, making the entire staff of the men's boutique run around, frantically bringing her the best designs they had.

"Relax, just – leave everything to me, okay?" she spoke in such a determined tone that Alec did not bother protesting.

He sat on one of the comfy navy blue seats in one corner of the store. He let Izzy do as she pleased; his sister walked about, looking for the best dinner attire for him. Every now and then she would approach him and ask which color he would like, or if he liked the fabric of the clothes. Alec felt touched by her eagerness to help him out, although Isabelle seemed to be overdoing it.

In the end, Isabelle could not choose between five famous designer suits, so she bought them all.

"Iz, what's the point of buying me all this?" Alec spoke when they were already in the car. "It's impractical…"

"Since when did great fashion become practical?" Isabelle replied nonchalantly. "Come on, we need to go to the salon."

"What? Why?"

"Because, obviously, you're going on a date!" his sister exclaimed. "You need to pamper yourself."

"No, I don't think I have to – " Alec glanced out of the window of the car. "Wait. You can drop me off here."

"What why?" Isabelle asked, but her brother already jumped out of the car, carrying his ever useful backpack.

"Sorry, gotta go!" Alec told her. "See you later, Iz!"

.

.

.

It was by pure coincidence that the car passed by the coffee shop where Alec was technically kidnapped by Magnus. It was then that he remembered the guy who dropped the sketchbook. Alec was not sure if the guy would still search for it, but his moral sensibilities make him feel restless.

_**Might as well leave it here,**_ he thought. _**Just in case.**_

So he crossed the street and went inside. The shop was small, but it had a cozy air about it; it must be due to the wooden furnishings and the pleasant lighting. He was just about to ask one of the waitresses when he noticed a familiar-looking guy speaking with the cashier girl.

"Are you sure you didn't find any sketchbook outside?"

"No, sir. I'm really, really sorry…"

Alec took a moment to gaze at the boy. Recognizing his silvery hair and charming green eyes, he could not help but break into a smile.

"Jonathan?"

Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern nearly jumped upon hearing his name. Glancing to his right, he looked at Alec with an expression that was a mix of surprise and delight.

"Alec," he spoke softly, as if Alec being there was a wish come true.

.

.

.

**I'm really, really sorry this took so long. And I can't promise a fast update; not with the way I have to make money since my father is sick, so he can't go to work.**


End file.
